WorldWideScience

Sample records for remnants partially occulted

  1. Partially Transparent Petaled Mask/Occulter for Visible-Range Spectrum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiri, Ron Shahram; Wasylkiwskyj, Wasyl

    2013-01-01

    The presence of the Poisson Spot, also known as the spot of Arago, has been known since the 18th century. This spot is the consequence of constructive interference of light diffracted by the edge of the obstacle where the central position can be determined by symmetry of the object. More recently, many NASA missions require the suppression of this spot in the visible range. For instance, the exoplanetary missions involving space telescopes require telescopes to image the planetary bodies orbiting central stars. For this purpose, the starlight needs to be suppressed by several orders of magnitude in order to image the reflected light from the orbiting planet. For the Earth-like planets, this suppression needs to be at least ten orders of magnitude. One of the common methods of suppression involves sharp binary petaled occulters envisioned to be placed many thousands of miles away from the telescope blocking the starlight. The suppression of the Poisson Spot by binary sharp petal tips can be problematic when the thickness of the tips becomes smaller than the wavelength of the incident beam. First they are difficult to manufacture and also it invalidates the laws of physical optics. The proposed partially transparent petaled masks/occulters compensate for this sharpness with transparency along the surface of the petals. Depending on the geometry of the problem, this transparency can be customized such that only a small region of the petal is transparent and the remaining of the surface is opaque. This feature allows easy fabrication of this type of occultation device either as a mask or occulter. A partially transparent petaled mask/ occulter has been designed for the visible spectrum range. The mask/occulter can suppress the intensity along the optical axis up to ten orders of magnitude. The design process can tailor the mask shape, number of petals, and transparency level to the near-field and farfield diffraction region. The mask/occulter can be used in space

  2. David Levy's Guide to Eclipses, Transits, and Occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, David H.

    2010-08-01

    Introduction; Part I. The Magic and History of Eclipses: 1. Shakespeare, King Lear, and the Great Eclipse of 1605; 2. Three centuries later: Einstein, relativity, and the solar eclipse of 1919; 3. What causes solar and lunar eclipses; Part II. Observing Solar Eclipses: 4. Safety considerations; 5. What to expect during a partial eclipse; 6. Annular eclipses and what to see in them; 7. Total eclipse of the Sun: introduction to the magic; 8. The onset: temperature drop, Baily's Beads, Diamond Ring; 9. Totality: Corona, Prominences, Chromosphere, and surrounding area; 10. Photographing and imaging a solar eclipse; Part III. Observing Lunar Eclipses: 11. Don't forget the penumbral eclipses!; 12. Partial lunar eclipses; 13. Total lunar eclipses; 14. Photographing and imaging lunar eclipses; Part IV. Occultations: 15. When the Moon occults a star; Part V. Transits: 16. When planets cross the Sun; Part VI. My Favorite Eclipses: 17. A personal canon of eclipses, occultations, and transits I have seen; Appendices; Index.

  3. Relating Eye Activity Measures to Human Controller Remnant Characteristics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Popovici, A; Zaal, P.M.T.; Pool, D.M.; Mulder, M.; Sawaragi, T

    2016-01-01

    This study attempts to partially explain the characteristics of the human perceptual remnant, following Levison’s representation of the remnant as an equivalent observation noise. Eye activity parameters are recorded using an eye tracker in two compensatory tracking tasks in which the visual

  4. Hard X-Ray Emission from Partially Occulted Solar Flares: RHESSI Observations in Two Solar Cycles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Effenberger, Frederic; Costa, Fatima Rubio da; Petrosian, Vahé [Department of Physics and KIPAC, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Oka, Mitsuo; Saint-Hilaire, Pascal; Krucker, Säm [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Liu, Wei [Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 625 2nd Street, Suite 209, Petaluma, CA 94952 (United States); Glesener, Lindsay, E-mail: feffen@stanford.edu, E-mail: frubio@stanford.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

    2017-02-01

    Flares close to the solar limb, where the footpoints are occulted, can reveal the spectrum and structure of the coronal looptop source in X-rays. We aim at studying the properties of the corresponding energetic electrons near their acceleration site, without footpoint contamination. To this end, a statistical study of partially occulted flares observed with Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager is presented here, covering a large part of solar cycles 23 and 24. We perform detailed spectra, imaging, and light curve analyses for 116 flares and include contextual observations from SDO and STEREO when available, providing further insights into flare emission that were previously not accessible. We find that most spectra are fitted well with a thermal component plus a broken power-law, non-thermal component. A thin-target kappa distribution model gives satisfactory fits after the addition of a thermal component. X-ray imaging reveals small spatial separation between the thermal and non-thermal components, except for a few flares with a richer coronal source structure. A comprehensive light curve analysis shows a very good correlation between the derivative of the soft X-ray flux (from GOES ) and the hard X-rays for a substantial number of flares, indicative of the Neupert effect. The results confirm that non-thermal particles are accelerated in the corona and estimated timescales support the validity of a thin-target scenario with similar magnitudes of thermal and non-thermal energy fluxes.

  5. Reflective Occultation Mask for Evaluation of Occulter Designs for Planet Finding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagopian, John; Lyon, Richard; Shiri, Shahram; Roman, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    Advanced formation flying occulter designs utilize a large occulter mask flying in formation with an imaging telescope to block and null starlight to allow imaging of faint planets in exosolar systems. A paper describes the utilization of subscale reflective occultation masks to evaluate formation flying occulter designs. The use of a reflective mask allows mounting of the occulter by conventional means and simplifies the test configuration. The innovation alters the test set-up to allow mounting of the mask using standard techniques to eliminate the problems associated with a standard configuration. The modified configuration uses a reflective set-up whereby the star simulator reflects off of a reflective occulting mask and into an evaluation telescope. Since the mask is sized to capture all rays required for the imaging test, it can be mounted directly to a supporting fixture without interfering with the beam. Functionally, the reflective occultation mask reflects light from the star simulator instead of transmitting it, with a highly absorptive carbon nanotube layer simulating the occulter blocking mask. A subscale telescope images the star source and companion dim source that represents a planet. The primary advantage of this is that the occulter can be mounted conventionally instead of using diffractive wires or magnetic levitation.

  6. Remnant lipoproteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varbo, Anette; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2017-08-01

    To review recent advances in the field of remnant lipoproteins and remnant cholesterol with a focus on cardiovascular disease risk. In line with previous years' research, current observational, genetic, and mechanistic studies find remnant lipoproteins (defined in different ways) to be involved in atherosclerosis development and cardiovascular disease risk. High concentrations of remnant cholesterol could explain some of the residual risk of cardiovascular disease seen after LDL cholesterol lowering. This will be increasingly important as populations worldwide become more obese and more have diabetes, both of which elevate remnant cholesterol concentrations. Many smaller scale studies and post hoc analyses show that remnant cholesterol can be lowered by different types of drugs; however, results from large scale studies with the primary aim of reducing cardiovascular disease risk through lowering of remnant cholesterol in individuals with elevated concentrations are still missing, although some are under way. Remnant cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and can be lowered by different types of drugs; however, large scale studies of cardiovascular disease risk reduction through remnant lipoprotein lowering are under way.

  7. Remnant lipoproteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Nordestgaard, Børge G.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose of review: To review recent advances in the field of remnant lipoproteins and remnant cholesterol with a focus on cardiovascular disease risk. Recent findings: In line with previous years' research, current observational, genetic, and mechanistic studies find remnant lipoproteins (defined...... of cardiovascular disease risk reduction through remnant lipoprotein lowering are under way....

  8. GAMBARAN RADIOLOGIS PADA OCCULT PNEUMOTHORAKS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Putu Aditha Satya Putra

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Pneumothorax is a recognized cause of death in chest wall trauma. Radiological examination is the key factor to establish the existence of a pneumothorax. Occult pneumothorax is pneumothorax that undiagnosed clinically and with thoracic x-ray, but it can be tolerated while other more urgent trauma. Occult pneumothorax can be detected by CT (Computed tomography. Occult pneumothorax may progress to tension pneumothorax in certain circumstances. Missing in diagnosed pneumothorax will cause death. This literature will discuss radiological examination for diagnosing, early detection, and management of occult pneumothorax. If thoracic x-ray examination did not reveal the occult pneumothorax, it can be dangerous if existence of pneumothorax was not known. In this case, the examination of thoracic CT-Scan is gold standard for determining the presence of occult pneumothorax and can provide appropriate care.

  9. Measurement of stellar occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eberle, Andreas

    2008-09-01

    Whenever an asteroid occults a star, we have the opportunity to study that asteroid in great detail. As frequently shown in the past, amateur astronomers1 have the necessary equipment to measure such events successfully2. Combined with the dense net of amateur observatories and online coordination tools3 for movable stations, they can create fine grids to detect even small bodies. The analysis of these events gives us the possibility to receive high precision astrometry data, to determine the asteroids size and shape (and therefore its albedo), and even to collect information on the star itself.4 While usually a set of several light curves is required to do so, a single recording5 of (10734) Wieck's occultation of HIP 22157 on 2008 Feb 08 was sufficient to retrieve the necessary data6. 1 Observation campaigns are organized by the International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA), http://www.iota-es.de/ 2 for results see e.g. euraster.net by E. Frappa, http://www.euraster.net/ 3 Occult Watcher by H. Pavlov, http://www.hristopavlov.net/OccultWatcher/OccultWatcher.html 4 see K. Miyashita's analysis of the observation of the occultation of TYC 1886-01206-1 by Kalliope and Linus, http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/k miyash/occ02/kalliope/doublestar en.html 5 recording obtained by H. Michels, MPC Station Code 240 6 using Limovie by K. Miyashita

  10. On The Origin Of Two-Shell Supernova Remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, Vasilii

    2007-07-01

    The proper motion of massive stars could cause them to explode far from the geometric centers of their wind-driven bubbles and thereby could affect the symmetry of the resulting diffuse supernova remnants (SNRs). We use this fact to explain the origin of SNRs consisting of two partially overlapping shells (e.g. Cygnus Loop, 3C 400.2, etc.).

  11. Progress on the occulter experiment at Princeton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Eric; Balasubramanian, Kunjithapatham; Carr, Michael; Dickie, Matthew; Echternach, Pierre; Groff, Tyler; Kasdin, Jeremy; Laftchiev, Christian; McElwain, Michael; Sirbu, Dan; Vanderbei, Robert; White, Victor

    2009-08-01

    An occulter is used in conjunction with a separate telescope to suppress the light of a distant star. To demonstrate the performance of this system, we are building an occulter experiment in the laboratory at Princeton. This experiment will use an etched silicon mask as the occulter, with some modifications to try to improve the performance. The occulter is illuminated by a diverging laser beam to reduce the aberrations from the optics before the occulter. We present the progress of this experiment and expectations for future work.

  12. GAMBARAN RADIOLOGIS PADA OCCULT PNEUMOTHORAKS

    OpenAIRE

    Putu Aditha Satya Putra; Nyoman Srie Laksminingsih

    2013-01-01

    Pneumothorax is a recognized cause of death in chest wall trauma. Radiological examination is the key factor to establish the existence of a pneumothorax. Occult pneumothorax is pneumothorax that undiagnosed clinically and with thoracic x-ray, but it can be tolerated while other more urgent trauma. Occult pneumothorax can be detected by CT (Computed tomography). Occult pneumothorax may progress to tension pneumothorax in certain circumstances. Missing in diagnosed pneumothorax will cause deat...

  13. OCCULT POWER AND AFRICA'S SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Ike

    people believe in the existence of occult powers and this belief affects their ... make use of occult powers to solve their problems. For example, ... existence and influence of paranormal and occult powers, argues that ..... and friends.

  14. Sociology of religion and the occult revival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lennart Ejerfeldt

    1975-01-01

    Full Text Available The "new" that makes the cults of the occult revival to "new religions" of the Western world, is their recently increased social significance. Historically most of modern occultism is anything but new. From the research and theorizing about the occult revival we have picked up some main themes. The first is the social diffusion of the new occultism. In this field, we find some studies of superstition, especially astrology. These illuminate the differences in social connotation between the consumers of superstition and the followers of institutional religion. Secondly the study of the occult revival has made valuable contributions to the conceptualizing of "cult" and the cultic phenomenon. Thirdly, we will look upon the connection between the occult revival and the counter-culture. The problem of the rise of cults as a symptom of socio-cultural change will be briefly discussed with reference to Bell's thesis of "the disjuntion of culture and social structure". Lastly, we proffer some reflections on the occult revival and the new spiritual trends in the churches, which so sharply contrast with the theology and churchmanship of the sixties.

  15. Occult Phenomena in Sherlock Holmes the Movie

    OpenAIRE

    NAMAZCARRA, CHRIESHER

    2014-01-01

    Keywords: Occult phenomena, Sherlock Holmes, movie. Lately, it is not difficult for people to find occult practices. There are many television programs and movie which air mystical programme aggressively to raise the rating and attract the viewers. A movie that raise occultism theme is Sherlock Holmes, the Movie. This movie tells about the struggle of detective Sherlock Holmes to fight the black magic power of Lord Blackwood.To carry out the study, the theories of Occultism such as the secrec...

  16. Occultations for probing atmosphere and climate

    CERN Document Server

    Foelsche, Ulrich; Steiner, Andrea

    2004-01-01

    Use of occultation methodology for observing the Earth's atmosphere and climate has become so broad as to comprise solar, lunar, stellar, navigation and satellite­ crosslink occultation methods. The atmospheric parameters obtained extend from the fundamental variables temperature, density, pressure, water vapor, and ozone via a multitude of trace gas species to particulate species such as aerosols and cloud liquid water. Ionospheric electron density is sensed as well. The methods all share the key properties of self-calibration, high accuracy and vertical resolution, global coverage, and (if using radio signals) all-weather capability. Occultation data are thus of high value in a wide range of fields including climate monitoring and research, atmospheric physics and chemistry, operational meteorology, and other fields such as space weather and planetary science. This wide area of variants and uses of the occultation method has led to a diversi­ fication of the occultation-related scientific community into a...

  17. ASTEROID SIZING BY RADIOGALAXY OCCULTATION AT 5 GHZ

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lehtinen, K.; Muinonen, K.; Poutanen, M. [Finnish Geospatial Research Institute FGI, Geodeetinrinne 2, FI-02430 Masala (Finland); Bach, U. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Radioobservatorium Effelsberg, Max-Planck-Str. 28, D-53902 Bad Münstereifel-Effelsberg (Germany); Petrov, L., E-mail: kimmo.lehtinen@nls.fi [Astrogeo Center, Falls Church, VA 22043 (United States)

    2016-05-10

    Stellar occultations by asteroids observed at visual wavelengths have been an important tool for studying the size and shape of asteroids and for revising the orbital parameters of asteroids. At radio frequencies, a shadow of an asteroid on the Earth is dominated by diffraction effects. Here, we show, for the first time, that a single observation of an occultation of a compact radio source at a frequency of 5 GHz can be used to derive the effective size of the occulting object and to derive the distance between the observer and the center of the occultation path on the Earth. The derived diameter of the occulting object, asteroid (115) Thyra, is 75 ± 6 km. The observed occultation profile shows features that cannot be explained by diffraction of a single asteroid.

  18. Optical performance of the New Worlds Occulter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenberg, Jonathan W.; Lo, Amy S.; Glassman, Tiffany M.; Cash, Webster

    2007-04-01

    The New Worlds Observer (NWO) is a multiple spacecraft mission that is capable of detecting and characterizing extra-solar planets and planetary systems. NWO consists of an external occulter and a generic space telescope, flying in tandem. The external occulter has specific requirements on its shape and size, while the telescope needs no special modification beyond that required to do high-quality astrophysical observations. The occulter is a petal-shaped, opaque screen that creates a high-suppression shadow large enough to accommodate the telescope. This article reports on the optical performance of the novel New Worlds occulter design. It also introduces two new aspects of its optical performance which enhance the detectability of extra-solar planets. We also include a brief discussion of the buildability and the tolerances of the occulter. It is also shown that an occulter design can be found for any set of science requirements. We show that NWO is a viable mission concept for the study of extra-solar planets. To cite this article: J.W. Arenberg et al., C. R. Physique 8 (2007).

  19. Strong scintillations during atmospheric occultations Theoretical intensity spectra. [radio scattering during spacecraft occultations by planetary atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, D. P.

    1986-01-01

    Each of the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 has completed a reconnaissance of the Jovian and Saturnian systems. In connection with occultation experiments, strong scintillations were observed. Further theoretical work is required before these scintillations can be interpreted. The present study is, therefore, concerned with the derivation of a theory for strong scattering during atmospheric occultation experiments, taking into account as fundamental quantity of interest the spatial spectrum (or spectral density) of intensity fluctuations. Attention is given to a theory for intensity spectra, and numerical calculations. The new formula derived for Phi-i accounts for strong scattering of electromagnetic waves during atmospheric occultations.

  20. OCCULT-ORSER complete conversational user-language translator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramapriyan, H. K.; Young, K.

    1981-01-01

    Translator program (OCCULT) assists non-computer-oriented users in setting up and submitting jobs for complex ORSER system. ORSER is collection of image processing programs for analyzing remotely sensed data. OCCULT is designed for those who would like to use ORSER but cannot justify acquiring and maintaining necessary proficiency in Remote Job Entry Language, Job Control Language, and control-card formats. OCCULT is written in FORTRAN IV and OS Assembler for interactive execution.

  1. Occult pneumomediastinum in blunt chest trauma: clinical significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezende-Neto, J B; Hoffmann, J; Al Mahroos, M; Tien, H; Hsee, L C; Spencer Netto, F; Speers, V; Rizoli, S B

    2010-01-01

    Thoracic injuries are potentially responsible for 25% of all trauma deaths. Chest X-ray is commonly used to screen patients with chest injury. However, the use of computed tomography (CT) scan for primary screening is increasing, particularly for blunt trauma. CT scans are more sensitive than chest X-ray in detecting intra-thoracic abnormalities such as pneumothoraces and pneumomediastinums. Pneumomediastinum detected by chest X-ray or "overt pneumomediastinum", raises the concern of possible aerodigestive tract injuries. In contrast, there is scarce information on the clinical significance of pneumomediastinum diagnosed by CT scan only or "occult pneumomediastinum". Therefore we investigated the clinical consequences of occult pneumomediastinum in our blunt trauma population. A 2-year retrospective chart review of all blunt chest trauma patients with initial chest CT scan admitted to a level I trauma centre. Data extracted from the medical records include; demographics, occult, overt, or no pneumomediastinum, the presence of intra-thoracic aerodigestive tract injuries (trachea, bronchus, and/or esophagus), mechanism and severity of injury, endotracheal intubation, chest thoracostomy, operations and radiological reports by an attending radiologist. All patients with intra-thoracic aerodigestive tract injuries from 1994 to 2004 were also investigated. Of 897 patients who met the inclusion criteria 839 (93.5%) had no pneumomediastinum. Five patients (0.6%) had overt pneumomediastinum and 53 patients (5.9%) had occult pneumomediastinum. Patients with occult pneumomediastinum had significantly higher ISS and AIS chest (pchest thoracostomy tube was more common (ppneumothorax. None of the patients with occult pneumomediastinum had aerodigestive tract injuries (95%CI 0-0.06). Follow up CT scan of patients with occult pneumomediastinum showed complete resolution in all cases, in average 3 h after the initial exam. Occult pneumomediastinum occurred in approximately 6% of

  2. Cervical Chondrocutaneous Branchial Remnants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klockars, Tuomas; Kajosaari, Lauri

    2017-03-01

      Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare malformations usually found in the lower neck. As high as 76% of patients have been reported to have associated anomalies. We review the literature and report a case series of seven patients with cervical cartilaginous remnants.   A retrospective case series of seven patients identified from the electronic hospital records.   Seven patients with cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants were identified (six boys and one girl). Only one of the patients had associated anomalies.   A review of the literature revealed no evidence for sinuses or cysts related to cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants. Operative treatment can be postponed to a suitable and safe age. There is marked variation in the reported prevalence of associated anomalies, ranging from 11% to 76%.

  3. The influence of massive black hole binaries on the morphology of merger remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bortolas, E.; Gualandris, A.; Dotti, M.; Read, J. I.

    2018-06-01

    Massive black hole (MBH) binaries, formed as a result of galaxy mergers, are expected to harden by dynamical friction and three-body stellar scatterings, until emission of gravitational waves (GWs) leads to their final coalescence. According to recent simulations, MBH binaries can efficiently harden via stellar encounters only when the host geometry is triaxial, even if only modestly, as angular momentum diffusion allows an efficient repopulation of the binary loss cone. In this paper, we carry out a suite of N-body simulations of equal-mass galaxy collisions, varying the initial orbits and density profiles for the merging galaxies and running simulations both with and without central MBHs. We find that the presence of an MBH binary in the remnant makes the system nearly oblate, aligned with the galaxy merger plane, within a radius enclosing 100 MBH masses. We never find binary hosts to be prolate on any scale. The decaying MBHs slightly enhance the tangential anisotropy in the centre of the remnant due to angular momentum injection and the slingshot ejection of stars on nearly radial orbits. This latter effect results in about 1 per cent of the remnant stars being expelled from the galactic nucleus. Finally, we do not find any strong connection between the remnant morphology and the binary hardening rate, which depends only on the inner density slope of the remnant galaxy. Our results suggest that MBH binaries are able to coalesce within a few Gyr, even if the binary is found to partially erase the merger-induced triaxiality from the remnant.

  4. PROGENITORS OF RECOMBINING SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moriya, Takashi J., E-mail: takashi.moriya@ipmu.jp [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan)

    2012-05-01

    Usual supernova remnants have either ionizing plasma or plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium, i.e., the ionization temperature is lower than or equal to the electron temperature. However, the existence of recombining supernova remnants, i.e., supernova remnants with ionization temperature higher than the electron temperature, has been recently confirmed. One suggested way to have recombining plasma in a supernova remnant is to have a dense circumstellar medium at the time of the supernova explosion. If the circumstellar medium is dense enough, collisional ionization equilibrium can be established in the early stage of the evolution of the supernova remnant and subsequent adiabatic cooling, which occurs after the shock wave gets out of the dense circumstellar medium, makes the electron temperature lower than the ionization temperature. We study the circumstellar medium around several supernova progenitors and show which supernova progenitors can have a circumstellar medium dense enough to establish collisional ionization equilibrium soon after the explosion. We find that the circumstellar medium around red supergiants (especially massive ones) and the circumstellar medium dense enough to make Type IIn supernovae can establish collisional ionization equilibrium soon after the explosion and can evolve to become recombining supernova remnants. Wolf-Rayet stars and white dwarfs have the possibility to be recombining supernova remnants but the fraction is expected to be very small. As the occurrence rate of the explosions of red supergiants is much higher than that of Type IIn supernovae, the major progenitors of recombining supernova remnants are likely to be red supergiants.

  5. Remnant cholesterol and ischemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent advances in the field of remnant cholesterol as a contributor to the development of ischemic heart disease (IHD). RECENT FINDINGS: Epidemiologic, mechanistic, and genetic studies all support a role for elevated remnant cholesterol (=cholesterol in triglyceride......-rich lipoproteins) as a contributor to the development of atherosclerosis and IHD. Observational studies show association between elevated remnant cholesterol and IHD, and mechanistic studies show remnant cholesterol accumulation in the arterial wall like LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) accumulation. Furthermore, large...... genetic studies show evidence of remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for IHD independent of HDL-cholesterol levels. Genetic studies also show that elevated remnant cholesterol is associated with low-grade inflammation, whereas elevated LDL-C is not. There are several pharmacologic ways of lowering...

  6. Remnant lipoproteins and atherosclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Twickler, Th. B.; Dallinga-Thie, G. M.; Chapman, M. J.; Cohn, J. S.

    2005-01-01

    A recently developed assay for quantification of remnant-like particle cholesterol has provided considerable evidence that reinforces the concept that elevated levels of plasma remnants are associated with increased cardiovascular disease in different populations and distinct patient groups. In this

  7. Oligometastasis as a predictor for occult disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendal, Wayne S

    2014-05-01

    Oligometastasis can be defined as a state of limited metastases that is potentially amenable to ablative local therapy; the success of such therapy depends on whether or not additional occult metastases exist. A model is presented here to predict occult metastases given detectable oligometastases. Predictions were based on Bayes' theorem, in conjunction with descriptions of the statistical distributions for the sizes and numbers of hematogenous metastases. The background probability for occult metastases in individuals with oligometastases increased markedly with relatively minor increases in metastatic potential. With each additional metastasis detected the chance of further occult metastases increased. These latter increases were incremental and proportionately smaller with the more metastatic tumors. Long disease free intervals had a major effect to decrease in the probability of further occult disease. Demonstration of oligometastases depends heavily upon the sensitivity of radiological imaging techniques, where the proportion of detectable metastases relates to the position of the distribution of metastasis growth times with respect to the detection threshold. Given the limitations of radiological methods, and the possibility that the oligometastases detected may be the only disease, an aggressive approach appears indicated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Letter to the EditorAbel transform inversion of radio occultation measurements made with a receiver inside the Earth’s atmosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. B. Healy

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available Radio occultation measurements made with a receiver inside the Earth’s atmosphere can be inverted, assuming local spherical symmetry, with an Abel transform to provide an estimate of the atmospheric refractive index profile. The measurement geometry is closely related to problems encountered when inverting seismic time-travel data and solar occultation measurements, where the Abel solution is well known. The method requires measuring both rays that originate from above and below the local horizon of the receiver. The Abel transform operates on a profile of "partial bending angles" found by subtracting the positive elevation measurement from the negative elevation value with the same impact parameter. In principle, the refractive index profile can be derived from measurements with a single frequency GPS receiver because the ionospheric bending is removed when the partial bending angle is evaluated.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (pressure, density and temperature – Radio science (remote sensing

  9. Letter to the EditorAbel transform inversion of radio occultation measurements made with a receiver inside the Earth’s atmosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Haase

    Full Text Available Radio occultation measurements made with a receiver inside the Earth’s atmosphere can be inverted, assuming local spherical symmetry, with an Abel transform to provide an estimate of the atmospheric refractive index profile. The measurement geometry is closely related to problems encountered when inverting seismic time-travel data and solar occultation measurements, where the Abel solution is well known. The method requires measuring both rays that originate from above and below the local horizon of the receiver. The Abel transform operates on a profile of "partial bending angles" found by subtracting the positive elevation measurement from the negative elevation value with the same impact parameter. In principle, the refractive index profile can be derived from measurements with a single frequency GPS receiver because the ionospheric bending is removed when the partial bending angle is evaluated.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (pressure, density and temperature – Radio science (remote sensing

  10. Diagnostic strategy for occult hepatitis B virus infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocana, Sara; Casas, Maria Luisa; Buhigas, Ingrid; Lledo, Jose Luis

    2011-01-01

    In 2008, the European Association for the study of the liver (EASL) defined occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) as the “presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the liver (with detectable or undetectable HBV DNA in the serum) of individuals testing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative by currently available assays”. Several aspects of occult HBV infection are still poorly understood, including the definition itself and a standardized approach for laboratory-based detection, which is the purpose of this review. The clinical significance of OBI has not yet been established; however, in terms of public health, the clinical importance arises from the risk of HBV transmission. Consequently, it is important to detect high-risk groups for occult HBV infection to prevent transmission. The main issue is, perhaps, to identify the target population for screening OBI. Viremia is very low or undetectable in occult HBV infection, even when the most sensitive methods are used, and the detection of the viral DNA reservoir in hepatocytes would provide the best evaluation of occult HBV prevalence in a defined set of patients. However, this diagnostic approach is obviously unsuitable: blood detection of occult hepatitis B requires assays of the highest sensitivity and specificity with a lower limit of detection < 10 IU/mL for HBV DNA and < 0.1 ng/mL for HBsAg. PMID:21472120

  11. First results from stellar occultations in the "GAIA era"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benedetti-Rossi, G.; Vieira-Martins, R.; Sicardy, B.

    2017-09-01

    Stellar occultation is a powerful technique to study distant solar system bodies. It allows high angular resolution of the occulting body from the analysis of a light curve acquired with high temporal resolution with uncertainties comparable as probes. In the "GAIA era", stellar occultations is now able to obtain even more impressive results such as the presence of atmosphere, rings and topographic features.

  12. Einstein Observations of Galactic supernova remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seward, Frederick D.

    1990-01-01

    This paper summarizes the observations of Galactic supernova remnants with the imaging detectors of the Einstein Observatory. X-ray surface brightness contours of 47 remnants are shown together with gray-scale pictures. Count rates for these remnants have been derived and are listed for the HRI, IPC, and MPC detectors.

  13. Boundary diffraction wave integrals for diffraction modeling of external occulters

    OpenAIRE

    Cady, E.

    2012-01-01

    An occulter is a large diffracting screen which may be flown in conjunction with a telescope to image extrasolar planets. The edge is shaped to minimize the diffracted light in a region beyond the occulter, and a telescope may be placed in this dark shadow to view an extrasolar system with the starlight removed. Errors in position, orientation, and shape of the occulter will diffract additional light into this region, and a challenge of modeling an occulter system is to accurately and quickly...

  14. Postprandial Hyperlipidemia and Remnant Lipoproteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuda, Daisaku; Yamashita, Shizuya

    2017-02-01

    Fasting hypertriglyceridemia is positively associated with the morbidity of coronary heart disease (CHD), and postprandial (non-fasting) hypertriglyceridemia is also correlated with the risk status for CHD, which is related to the increase in chylomicron (CM) remnant lipoproteins produced from the intestine. CM remnant particles, as well as oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) or very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) remnants, are highly atherogenic and act by enhancing systemic inflammation, platelet activation, coagulation, thrombus formation, and macrophage foam cell formation. The cholesterol levels of remnant lipoproteins significantly correlate with small, dense LDL; impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and CHD prevalence. We have developed an assay of apolipoprotein (apo)B-48 levels to evaluate the accumulation of CM remnants. Fasting apoB-48 levels correlate with the morbidity of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, type III hyperlipoproteinemia, the metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, and IGT. Fasting apoB-48 levels also correlate with carotid intima-media thickening and CHD prevalence, and a high apoB-48 level is a significant predictor of CHD risk, independent of the fasting TG level. Diet interventions, such as dietary fibers, polyphenols, medium-chain fatty acids, diacylglycerol, and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), ameliorate postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, moreover, drugs for dyslipidemia (n-3 PUFA, statins, fibrates or ezetimibe) and diabetes concerning incretins (dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitor or glucagon like peptide-1 analogue) may improve postprandial hypertriglyceridemia. Since the accumulation of CM remnants correlates to impaired lipid and glucose metabolism and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events, further studies are required to investigate the characteristics, physiological activities, and functions of CM remnants for the development of new interventions to reduce atherogenicity.

  15. Hand gesture recognition in confined spaces with partial observability and occultation constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirkhodaie, Amir; Chan, Alex; Hu, Shuowen

    2016-05-01

    Human activity detection and recognition capabilities have broad applications for military and homeland security. These tasks are very complicated, however, especially when multiple persons are performing concurrent activities in confined spaces that impose significant obstruction, occultation, and observability uncertainty. In this paper, our primary contribution is to present a dedicated taxonomy and kinematic ontology that are developed for in-vehicle group human activities (IVGA). Secondly, we describe a set of hand-observable patterns that represents certain IVGA examples. Thirdly, we propose two classifiers for hand gesture recognition and compare their performance individually and jointly. Finally, we present a variant of Hidden Markov Model for Bayesian tracking, recognition, and annotation of hand motions, which enables spatiotemporal inference to human group activity perception and understanding. To validate our approach, synthetic (graphical data from virtual environment) and real physical environment video imagery are employed to verify the performance of these hand gesture classifiers, while measuring their efficiency and effectiveness based on the proposed Hidden Markov Model for tracking and interpreting dynamic spatiotemporal IVGA scenarios.

  16. 21 CFR 864.6550 - Occult blood test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Occult blood test. 864.6550 Section 864.6550 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Manual Hematology Devices § 864.6550 Occult blood test. (a...

  17. Evolution of Supernova Remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arbutina, B.

    2017-12-01

    This book, both a monograph and a graduate textbook, is based on my original research and partly on the materials prepared earlier for the 2007 and 2008 IARS Astrophysics Summer School in Istanbul, AstroMundus course 'Supernovae and Their Remnants' that was held for the first time in 2011 at the Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade, and a graduate course 'Evolution of Supernova Remnants' that I teach at the aforementioned university. The first part Supernovae (introduction, thermonuclear supernovae, core-collapse supernovae) provides introductory information and explains the classification and physics of supernova explosions, while the second part Supernova remnants (introduction, shock waves, cosmic rays and particle acceleration, magnetic fields, synchrotron radiation, hydrodynamic and radio evolution of supernova remnants), which is the field I work in, is more detailed in scope i.e. technical/mathematical. Special attention is paid to details of mathematical derivations that often cannot be found in original works or available literature. Therefore, I believe it can be useful to both, graduate students and researchers interested in the field.

  18. Occult spinal dysraphism

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    paediatricians, paediatric neurosurgeons, urologists, orthopaedic surgeons, occupational ... Occult spinal dysraphism refers to a diverse group of congenital abnormalities resulting from varying degrees of disordered neuro- embryogenesis. Several terms have .... can image the whole spine. T1-weighted sagittal and axial ...

  19. First light of an external occulter testbed at flight Fresnel numbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yunjong; Sirbu, Dan; Hu, Mia; Kasdin, Jeremy; Vanderbei, Robert J.; Harness, Anthony; Shaklan, Stuart

    2017-01-01

    Many approaches have been suggested over the last couple of decades for imaging Earth-like planets. One of the main candidates for creating high-contrast for future Earth-like planets detection is an external occulter. The external occulter is a spacecraft flown along the line-of-sight of a space telescope to suppress starlight and enable high-contrast direct imaging of exoplanets. The occulter is typically tens of meters in diameter and the separation from the telescope is of the order of tens of thousands of kilometers. Optical testing of a full-scale external occulter on the ground is impossible because of the long separations. Therefore, laboratory verification of occulter designs is necessary to validate the optical models used to design and predict occulter performance. At Princeton, we have designed and built a testbed that allows verification of scaled occulter designs whose suppressed shadow is mathematically identical to that of space occulters. The goal of this experiment is to demonstrate a pupil plane suppression of better than 1e-9 with a corresponding image plane contrast of better than 1e-11. The occulter testbed uses a 77.2 m optical propagation distance to realize the flight Fresnel number of 14.5. The scaled mask is placed at 27.2 m from the artificial source and the camera is located 50.0 m from the scaled mask. We will use an etched silicon mask, manufactured by the Microdevices Lab(MDL) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL), as the occulter. Based on conversations with MDL, we expect that 0.5 μm feature size is an achievable resolution in the mask manufacturing process and is therefore likely the indicator of the best possible performance. The occulter is illuminated by a diverging laser beam to reduce the aberrations from the optics before the occulter. Here, we present first light result of a sample design operating at a flight Fresnel number and the experimental setup of the testbed. We compare the experimental results with simulations

  20. Possible occultation by Pluto from US East Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waagen, Elizabeth O.

    2012-06-01

    We have been asked to help disseminate the news of a possible occultation by Pluto visible to observers on the US East coast. Although the AAVSO does not ordinarily issue announcements of upcoming occultations, in this case the object is Pluto and the NASA New Horizons mission (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html) will be visiting Pluto in 2015. The information below has been supplied by Dr. Leslie Young (Southwest Research Institute), who is coordinating this observing campaign on Pluto. Dr. Young is also Deputy Project Scientist for the New Horizons mission. ALERT: Possible Pluto occultation Wednesday night (2012/06/14 03:28 UT) from US East coast. CONTACT: Leslie Young (layoung@boulder.swri.edu; work: 303-546-6057; skype: drpluto). Also see our planning pages in progress at http://wiki.boulder.swri.edu/mediawiki/index.php/2012-06-14_Pluto_occultation. Pluto's thin, nitrogen atmosphere is in vapor-pressure equilibrium with the surface ice, and changes seasonally. We've seen it double since 1988, and now we measure its pressure once or twice a year. The technique we use is stellar occultation, when a star passes behind Pluto's atmosphere. The atmosphere defocuses the starlight. By the timing of the fading of the star, we measure the pressure and temperature in Pluto's atmosphere at ~10 km resolution. MORE INFORMATION: See http://wiki.boulder.swri.edu/mediawiki/index.php/2012-06-14_Pluto_occultation.

  1. Occult carbon monoxide poisoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkpatrick, J N

    1987-01-01

    A syndrome of headache, fatigue, dizziness, paresthesias, chest pain, palpitations and visual disturbances was associated with chronic occult carbon monoxide exposure in 26 patients in a primary care setting. A causal association was supported by finding a source of carbon monoxide in a patient's home, workplace or vehicle; results of screening tests that ruled out other illnesses; an abnormally high carboxyhemoglobin level in 11 of 14 patients tested, and abatement or resolution of symptoms when the source of carbon monoxide was removed. Exposed household pets provided an important clue to the diagnosis in some cases. Recurrent occult carbon monoxide poisoning may be a frequently overlooked cause of persistent or recurrent headache, fatigue, dizziness, paresthesias, abdominal pain, diarrhea and unusual spells.

  2. Radio Occultation Bending Angle Anomalies During Tropical Cyclones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Neubert, Torsten; Syndergaard, Stig

    signature in radio occultation profiles in the tropical tropopause layer. Using tropical cyclone best track database and data from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), we show that the bending angle anomaly of a GPS radio occultation signal is typically larger...

  3. Occult spondyloarthritis in inflammatory bowel disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandinelli, Francesca; Manetti, Mirko; Ibba-Manneschi, Lidia

    2016-02-01

    Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a frequent extra-intestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), although its real diffusion is commonly considered underestimated. Abnormalities in the microbioma and genetic predisposition have been implicated in the link between bowel and joint inflammation. Otherwise, up to date, pathogenetic mechanisms are still largely unknown and the exact influence of the bowel activity on rheumatic manifestations is not clearly explained. Due to evidence-based results of clinical studies, the interest on clinically asymptomatic SpA in IBD patients increased in the last few years. Actually, occult enthesitis and sacroiliitis are discovered in high percentages of IBD patients by different imaging techniques, mainly enthesis ultrasound (US) and sacroiliac joint X-ray examinations. Several diagnostic approaches and biomarkers have been proposed in an attempt to correctly classify and diagnose clinically occult joint manifestations and to define clusters of risk for patient screening, although definitive results are still lacking. The correct recognition of occult SpA in IBD requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach in order to identify common diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The use of inexpensive and rapid imaging techniques, such as US and X-ray, should be routinely included in daily clinical practice and trials to correctly evaluate occult SpA, thus preventing future disability and worsening of quality of life in IBD patients.

  4. Occult Macular Dystrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Işıl Sayman Muslubaş

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Occult macular dystrophy is an inherited macular dystrophy characterized by a progressive decline of bilateral visual acuity with normal fundus appearance, fluorescein angiogram and full-field electroretinogram. This case report presents a 20-year-old female patient with bilateral progressive decline of visual acuity for six years. Her visual acuity was 3-4/10 in both eyes. Anterior segment and fundus examination, fluorescein angiogram and full-field electroretinogram were normal. She could read all Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates. Fundus autofluorescence imaging was normal. There was a mild central hyporeflectance on fundus infrared reflectance imaging in both eyes. Reduced foveal thickness and alterations of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction were observed by optical coherence tomography in both eyes. Central scotoma was also found by microperimetry and reduced central response was revealed by multifocal electroretinogram in both eyes. These findings are consistent with the clinical characteristics of occult macular dystrophy

  5. Hydrodynamic evolution of neutron star merger remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Men-Quan; Zhang, Jie

    2017-11-01

    Based on the special relativistic hydrodynamic equations and updated cooling function, we investigate the long-term evolution of neutron stars merger (NSM) remnants by a one-dimensional hydrodynamic code. Three NSM models from one soft equation of state, SFHo, and two stiff equations of state, DD2 and TM1, are used to compare their influences on the hydrodynamic evolution of remnants. We present the luminosity, mass and radius of remnants, as well as the velocity, temperature and density of shocks. For a typical interstellar medium (ISM) density with solar metallicity, we find that the NSM remnant from the SFHo model makes much more changes to ISM in terms of velocity, density and temperature distributions, compared with the case of DD2 and TM1 models. The maximal luminosity of the NSM remnant from the SFHo model is 3.4 × 1038 erg s-1, which is several times larger than that from DD2 and TM1 models. The NSM remnant from the SFHo model can maintain high luminosity (>1038 erg s-1) for 2.29 × 104 yr. Furthermore, the density and temperature of remnants at the maximal luminosity are not sensitive to the power of the original remnant. For the ISM with the solar metallicity and nH = 1 cm- 3, the density of the first shock ∼10-23 g cm-3 and the temperature ∼3 × 105 K in the maximal luminosity phase; The temperature of the first shock decreases and there is a thin 'dense' shell with density ∼10-21 g cm-3 after the maximal luminosity. These characteristics may be helpful for future observations of NSM remnants.

  6. The stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Haumea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos-Sanz, Pablo; Ortiz, Jose Luis; Sicardy, Bruno; Rossi, Gustavo; Berard, Diane; Morales, Nicolas; Duffard, Rene; Braga-Ribas, Felipe; Hopp, Ulrich; Ries, Christoph; Nascimbeni, Valerio; Marzari, Francesco; Granata, Valentina; Pál, András; Kiss, Csaba; Pribulla, Theodor; Milan Komzík, Richard; Hornoch, Kamil; Pravec, Petr; Bacci, Paolo; Maestripieri, Martina; Nerli, Luca; Mazzei, Leonardo; Bachini, Mauro; Martinelli, Fabio; Succi, Giacomo; Ciabattari, Fabrizio; Mikuz, Herman; Carbognani, Albino; Gaehrken, Bernd; Mottola, Stefano; Hellmich, Stephan; Rommel, Flavia; Fernández-Valenzuela, Estela; Campo Bagatin, Adriano; Haumea occultation international Collaboration: https://cloud.iaa.csic.es/public.php?service=files&t=d9276f8ab1a316cef13bee28bef75add

    2017-10-01

    The dwarf planet Haumea is a very peculiar Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) with unique and exotic characteristics. It is currently classified as one of the five dwarf planets of the solar system, and it is the only one for which size, shape, albedo, density and other basic properties were not accurately known. To solve that we predicted an occultation of the star GaiaDR1 1233009038221203584 by Haumea and organized observations within the expected shadow path. Medium/large telescopes were needed to record the occultation with enough signal to noise ratio because the occulted star is of similar brightness as Haumea (R~17.7 mag). We will report results derived from this successful stellar occultation by Haumea on 2017 January 21st. The occultation was positive from 12 telescopes at 10 observing stations in Europe: the Asiago Observatory 1.8m telescope (Italy), the Mount Agliale Observatory 0.5m telescope (Italy), the Lajatico Astronomical Centre 0.5m telescope (Italy), the S.Marcello Pistoiese Observatory 0.6m telescope (Italy), the Crni Vrh Observatory 0.6m telescope (Slovenia), the Ondrejov Observatory 0.65m telescope (Czech Republic), the Bavarian Public Observatory 0.81m telescope (Germany), the Konkoly Observatory 1m and 0.6m telescopes (Hungary), the Skalnate Pleso Observatory 1.3m telescope (Slovakia), and the Wendelstein Observatory 2m and 0.4m telescopes (Germany). This is the occultation by a TNO with the largest number of chords ever recorded.Part of this work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 687378.

  7. Occult diaphragmatic injuries caused by stab wounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leppäniemi, Ari; Haapiainen, Reijo

    2003-10-01

    Missed diaphragmatic perforation caused by penetrating trauma can lead to subsequent strangulation of a hollow viscus, which has prompted the use of invasive diagnostic procedures to exclude occult diaphragmatic injuries in asymptomatic, high-risk patients. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries caused by stab wounds of the lower chest and upper abdomen, and to examine the natural history and consequences of missed diaphragmatic injuries. On the basis of patient data from two previous randomized studies from our institution, a retrospective analysis was performed on 97 patients treated for anterior stab wounds located between the nipple line, the umbilical level, and the posterior axillary lines not having indications for immediate surgical exploration. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their initial randomized management (open or laparoscopic exploration vs. expectant observation). In the exploration group (n = 47), four diaphragmatic injuries (9%) were detected (three left-sided and one right-sided). Excluding patients with associated injuries requiring surgical repair, the incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries was 3 of 43 (7%). In the observation group (n = 50), there were two patients (4%) with delayed presentation of missed left-sided diaphragmatic injury 2 and 23 months later, respectively. Both injuries resulted from stab wounds of the left flank and presented with herniation of the stomach or small bowel and colon. The overall incidence of occult diaphragmatic injuries in left-sided thoracoabdominal stab wounds was 4 of 24 (17%), and was much lower after stab wounds of left epigastrium (0%), right lower chest (0%), and right epigastrium (4%). In asymptomatic patients with anterior or flank stab wounds of the lower chest or upper abdominal area, the risk of an occult diaphragmatic injury is approximately 7% which, if undetected, is associated with a high risk of subsequent

  8. Characterization and evolution of distant planetary atmospheres using stellar occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, L. A.

    2008-09-01

    Ground-based or near-Earth (e.g., HST) stellar occultations of every atmosphere in our solar system has been observed: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Titan, Uranus, Neptune, Triton, and Pluto [1]. These observations probe the atmospheres at roughly 0.1 to 100 microbar. I will talk about three aspects of stellar occultations: one-dimensional vertical profiles of the atmosphere, two- or three-dimensional atmospheric states, and the time evolution of atmosphere. In all three, I will draw on recent observations, with an emphasis on Pluto. Occultations are particularly important for the study of Pluto's atmosphere, which is impossible to study with imaging, and extremely difficult to study with spectroscopy. It was discovered by stellar occultation in 1988 [2]. No subsequent Pluto occultations were observed until two events in 2002 [3]. Pluto is now crossing the galactic plane, and there have been several additional occultations observed since 2006. These include a high signal-to-noise observation from the Anglo Australian Observatory in 2006 [4] (Fig 1), densely spaced visible and infrared observations of Pluto's upper atmosphere from telescopes in the US and Mexico in March, 2007 [5] (Fig. 2), and a dualwavelength central flash observation from Mt. John in July, 2007 [6] (Fig 3). The flux from a star occulted by an atmosphere diminishes primarily due to the increase in refraction with depth in the atmosphere, defocusing the starlight, although absorption and tangential focusing can also contribute. Because the atmospheric density, to first order, follows an exponential, it is feasible to derive a characteristic pressure and temperature from isothermal fits to even low-quality occultation light curves. Higher quality light curves allow fits with more flexible models, or light curve inversions that derive temperatures limited by the resolution of the data. These allow the derivation of one-dimensional profiles of temperature and pressure vs. altitude, which are critical

  9. Hepatectomy Based on Future Liver Remnant Plasma Clearance Rate of Indocyanine Green

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuichiro Uchida

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Hepatectomy, an important treatment modality for liver malignancies, has high perioperative morbidity and mortality rates. Safe, comprehensive criteria for selecting patients for hepatectomy are needed. Since June 2011, we have used a cut-off value of ≧ 0.05 for future liver remnant plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green as a criterion for hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to verify the validity of this criterion. Methods. From June 2011 to December 2015, 212 hepatectomies were performed in Tenri Yorozu Hospital. Of these 212 patients, 107 who underwent preoperative computed tomography imaging volumetry, indocyanine green clearance test, and hepatectomy (excluding partial resection or enucleation were retrospectively analyzed. Results. There was no postoperative mortality. Posthepatectomy liver failure occurred in 59 patients (55.1% (International Study Group of Liver Surgery Grade A: 43 cases (40.2%, Grade B: 16 cases (15.0%, and Grade C: no cases. Operative morbidity greater than Clavien-Dindo Grade 3 occurred in 23 patients (21.5%. A low future liver remnant plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green was a good predictor for Grade B cases (area under curve = 0.804; 95% confidence interval, 0.712–0.895. Conclusion. Liver remnant plasma clearance rate of indocyanine green is a valid criterion for hepatectomy.

  10. Fecal Occult Blood Test and Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majed H. Wakid

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Stool specimens of 1238 workers in western region of Saudi Arabia were examined for infection with intestinal parasites and for fecal occult blood (FOB to investigate the possibility that enteroparasites correlate to occult intestinal bleeding. Direct smears and formal ether techniques were used for detection of diagnostic stages of intestinal parasites. A commercially available guaiac test was used to detect fecal occult blood. 47.01% of the workers were infected with intestinal parasites including eight helminthes species and eight protozoan species. The results provided no significant evidence (P-value=0.143 that intestinal parasitic infection is in association with positive guaiac FOB test.

  11. CT detection of occult pneumothorax in head trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tocino, I.M.; Miller, M.H.; Frederick, P.R.; Bahr, A.L.; Thomas, F.

    1984-01-01

    A prospective evaluation for occult pneumothorax was performed in 25 consecutive patients with serious head trauma by combining a limited chest CT examination with the emergency head CT examination. Of 21 pneuomothoraces present in 15 patients, 11 (52%) were found only by chest CT and were not identified clinically or by supine chest radiograph. Because of pending therapeutic measures, chest tubes were placed in nine of the 11 occult pneumothoraces, regardless of the volume. Chest CT proved itself as the most sensitive method for detection of occult pneumothorax, permitting early chest tube placement to prevent transition to a tension pneumothorax during subsequent mechanical ventilation or emergency surgery under general anesthesia

  12. CT detection of occult pneumothorax in head trauma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tocino, I.M.; Miller, M.H.; Frederick, P.R.; Bahr, A.L.; Thomas, F.

    1984-11-01

    A prospective evaluation for occult pneumothorax was performed in 25 consecutive patients with serious head trauma by combining a limited chest CT examination with the emergency head CT examination. Of 21 pneuomothoraces present in 15 patients, 11 (52%) were found only by chest CT and were not identified clinically or by supine chest radiograph. Because of pending therapeutic measures, chest tubes were placed in nine of the 11 occult pneumothoraces, regardless of the volume. Chest CT proved itself as the most sensitive method for detection of occult pneumothorax, permitting early chest tube placement to prevent transition to a tension pneumothorax during subsequent mechanical ventilation or emergency surgery under general anesthesia.

  13. Wave propagation simulation of radio occultations based on ECMWF refractivity profiles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    von Benzon, Hans-Henrik; Høeg, Per

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a complete radio occultation simulation environment, including realistic refractivity profiles, wave propagation modeling, instrument modeling, and bending angle retrieval. The wave propagator is used to simulate radio occultation measurements. The radio waves are propagated...... of radio occultations. The output from the wave propagator simulator is used as input to a Full Spectrum Inversion retrieval module which calculates geophysical parameters. These parameters can be compared to the ECMWF atmospheric profiles. The comparison can be used to reveal system errors and get...... a better understanding of the physics. The wave propagation simulations will in this paper also be compared to real measurements. These radio occultations have been exposed to the same atmospheric conditions as the radio occultations simulated by the wave propagator. This comparison reveals that precise...

  14. Pluto-Charon Stellar Occultation Candidates: 1990-1995

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunham, E. W.; McDonald, S. W.; Elliot, J. L.

    1991-01-01

    We have carried out a search to identify stars that might be occulted by Pluto or Charon during the period 1990-1995 and part of 1996. This search was made with an unfiltered CCD camera operated in the strip scanning mode, and it reaches an R magnitude of approximately 17.5-about 1.5 mag fainter than previous searches. Circumstances for each of the 162 potential occultations are given, including an approximate R magnitude of the star, which allows estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for observation of each occultation. The faintest stars in our list would yield an S/N of about 20 for a 1 S integration when observed with a CCD detector on an 8 m telescope under a dark sky. Our astrometric precision (+/- 0.2 arcsec, with larger systematic errors possible for individual cases) is insufficient to serve as a final prediction for these potential occultations, but is sufficient to identify stars deserving of further, more accurate, astrometric observations. Statistically, we expect about 32 of these events to be observable somewhere on Earth. The number of events actually observed will be substantially smaller because of clouds and the sparse distribution of large telescopes. Finder charts for each of the 91 stars involved are presented.

  15. Density and energy of supernova remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canto, J [Manchester Univ. (UK). Dept. of Astronomy

    1977-12-01

    The effects of an interstellar magnetic field on the gas flow behind a strong shock front are considered. The ambient density and energy of supernova remnants are estimated from the intensity ratio of sulphur lines I(6717)/I(6731). It is found that, on average, the ambient density around galactic supernova remnants is 4 cm/sup -3/. The total energy appears to be the same for all supernova remnants (to within a factor = approximately 5). A mean value of 4 10/sup 51/ erg is found.

  16. Predictions of stellar occultations by TNOs/Centaurs using Gaia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desmars, Josselin; Camargo, Julio; Berard, Diane; Sicardy, Bruno; Leiva, Rodrigo; Vieira-Martins, Roberto; Braga-Ribas, Felipe; Assafin, Marcelo; Rossi, Gustavo; Chariklo occultations Team, Rio Group, Lucky Star Occultation Team, Granada Occultation Team

    2017-10-01

    Stellar occultations are the unique technique from the ground to access physical parameters of the distant solar system objects, such as the measure of the size and the shape at kilometric level, the detection of tenuous atmospheres (few nanobars), and the investigation of close vicinity (satellites, rings, jets).Predictions of stellar occultations require accurate positions of the star and the object.The Gaia DR1 catalog now allows to get stellar position to the milliarcsecond (mas) level. The main uncertainty in the prediction remains in the position of the object (tens to hundreds of mas).Now, we take advantage of the NIMA method for the orbit determination that uses the most recent observations reduced by the Gaia DR1 catalog and the astrometric positions derived from previous positive occultations.Up to now, we have detected nearly 50 positive occultations for about 20 objects that provide astrometric positions of the object at the time of the occultation. The uncertainty of these positions only depends on the uncertainty on the position of the occulted stars, which is a few mas with the Gaia DR1 catalog. The main limitation is now on the proper motion of the star which is only given for bright stars in the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution. This limitation will be solved with the publicationof the Gaia DR2 expected on April 2018 giving proper motions and parallaxes for the Gaia stars. Until this date, we use hybrid stellar catalogs (UCAC5, HSOY) that provide proper motions derived from Gaia DR1 and another stellar catalog.Recently, the Gaia team presented a release of three preliminary Gaia DR2 stellar positions involved in the occultations by Chariklo (22 June and 23 July 2017) and by Triton (5 October 2017).Taking the case of Chariklo as an illustration, we will present a comparison between the proper motions of DR2 and the other catalogs and we will show how the Gaia DR2 will lead to a mas level precision in the orbit and in the prediction of stellar

  17. HIGH-RESOLUTION RADIO OBSERVATIONS OF THE REMNANT OF SN 1987A AT HIGH FREQUENCIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zanardo, Giovanna; Staveley-Smith, L.; Potter, T. M.; Ng, C.-Y.; Gaensler, B. M.; Manchester, R. N.; Tzioumis, A. K.

    2013-01-01

    We present new imaging observations of the remnant of Supernova (SN) 1987A at 44 GHz, performed in 2011 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The 0.''35 × 0.''23 resolution of the diffraction-limited image is the highest achieved to date in high-dynamic range. We also present a new ATCA image at 18 GHz derived from 2011 observations, which is super-resolved to 0.''25. The flux density is 40 ± 2 mJy at 44 GHz and 81 ± 6 mJy at 18 GHz. At both frequencies, the remnant exhibits a ring-like emission with two prominent lobes, and an east-west brightness asymmetry that peaks on the eastern lobe. A central feature of fainter emission appears at 44 GHz. A comparison with previous ATCA observations at 18 and 36 GHz highlights higher expansion velocities of the remnant's eastern side. The 18-44 GHz spectral index is α = –0.80 (S ν ∝ν α ). The spectral index map suggests slightly steeper values at the brightest sites on the eastern lobe, whereas flatter values are associated with the inner regions. The remnant morphology at 44 GHz generally matches the structure seen with contemporaneous X-ray and Hα observations. Unlike the Hα emission, both the radio and X-ray emission peaks on the eastern lobe. The regions of flatter spectral index align and partially overlap with the optically visible ejecta. Simple free-free absorption models suggest that emission from a pulsar wind nebula or a compact source inside the remnant may now be detectable at high frequencies or at low frequencies if there are holes in the ionized component of the ejecta.

  18. Modelling the interaction of thermonuclear supernova remnants with circumstellar structures: the case of Tycho's supernova remnant

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chiotellis, A.; Kosenko, D.; Schure, K.M.; Vink, J.; Kaastra, J.S.

    2013-01-01

    The well-established Type Ia remnant of Tycho's supernova (SN 1572) reveals discrepant ambient medium-density estimates based on either the measured dynamics or the X-ray emission properties. This discrepancy can potentially be solved by assuming that the supernova remnant (SNR) shock initially

  19. Occult Radiographically Evident Port-Site Hernia After Robot-Assisted Urologic Surgery: Incidence and Risk Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christie, Matthew C; Manger, Jules P; Khiyami, Abdulaziz M; Ornan, Afshan A; Wheeler, Karen M; Schenkman, Noah S

    2016-01-01

    Laparoscopic trocar-site hernias (TSH) are rare, with a reported incidence of 1% or less. The incidence of occult radiographically evident hernias has not been described after robot-assisted urologic surgery. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of this problem. A single-institution retrospective review of robot-assisted urologic surgery was performed from April 2009 to December 2012. Patients with preoperative and postoperative CT were included for analysis. Imaging was reviewed by two radiologists and one urologist. One hundred four cases were identified, including 60 partial nephrectomy, 38 prostatectomy, and 6 cystectomy. Mean age was 58 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 29 kg/m(2). The cohort was 77% male. Ten total hernias were identified by CT in 8 patients, 2 of which were clinically evident hernias. Excluding these two hernias, occult port-site hernias were identified radiographically in seven patients. Per-patient incidence of occult TSH was 6.7% (7/104), and per-port incidence was 1.4% (8/564). All hernias were midline and 30% contained bowel. Eight of the 10 occurred at 12 mm sites (p = 0.0065) and 3 of the 10 occurred at extended incisions. Age, gender, BMI, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppressive drug therapy, ASA score, procedure, blood loss, prior abdominal surgery, and history of hernia were not significant risk factors. Specimen size >40 g (p = 0.024) and wound infection (p = 0.0052) were significant risk factors. While the incidence of clinically evident port-site hernia remains low in robot-assisted urologic surgery, the incidence of CT-detected occult hernia was 6.7% in this series. These occurred most often in sites extended for specimen extraction and at larger port sites. This suggests more attention should be paid to fascial closure at these sites.

  20. Radioiodine Remnant Ablation: A Critical Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bal, Chandra Sekhar; Padhy, Ajit Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) is considered a safe and effective method for eliminating residual thyroid tissue, as well as microscopic disease if at all present in thyroid bed following thyroidectomy. The rationale of RRA is that in the absence of thyroid tissue, serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement can be used as an excellent tumor marker. Other considerations are like the presence of significant remnant thyroid tissue makes detection and treatment of nodal or distant metastases difficult. Rarely, microscopic disease in the thyroid bed if not ablated, in the future, could be a source of anaplastic transformation. On the other hand, microscopic tumor emboli in distant sites could be the cause of distant metastasis too. The ablation of remnant tissue would in all probability eliminate these theoretical risks. It may be noted that all these are unproven contentious issues except postablation serum Tg estimation that could be a good tumor marker for detecting early biochemical recurrence in long-term follow-up strategy. Radioactive iodine is administered as a form of “adjuvant therapy” for remnant ablation. There have been several reports with regard to the administered dose for remnant ablation. The first report of a prospective randomized clinical trial was published from India by a prospective randomized study conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in the year 1996. The study reported that increasing the empirical 131 I initial dose to more than 50 mCi results in plateauing of the dose-response curve and thus, conventional high-dose remnant ablation needs critical evaluation. Recently, two important studies were published: One from French group and the other from UK on a similar line. Interestingly, all three studies conducted in three different geographical regions of the world showed exactly similar conclusion. The new era of low-dose remnant ablation has taken a firm scientific footing across the continents

  1. OCCULTISM AND MEDIUMSHIP IN FERNANDO PESSOA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alisson Diêgo Dias de Medeiros

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This work is the result of a research on the influence that the occultism had on the work of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. To delimitate the study, we selected papers of Fernando Pessoa, which  suggested that the poet considered himself medium, and hence influenced his work, building his depersonalization. This work presents, thus, as main objectiveto analyze personal papers of Fernando Pessoa, whose outstanding characteristic is the presence of occultism and the supposed mediumship defended by him in response to non-literary and heteronymic manifestations. To this end, I focused on specific objectives, which are: a to study the speech of Fernando Pessoa on his supposed mediumship / occultism b to analyze specific texts that are, for the poet, mediumistic manifestations c to study excerpts from a set of personal letters in which Fernando Pessoa suggested being a medium. It is true that this dissertation will address many discussions already made by scholars and specialists in Fernando Pessoa, but we consider the possibility to deepen issues and contribute to the critical fortune of the poet.

  2. Exploring small bodies in the outer solar system with stellar occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliot, Jim L.; Dunham, Edward W.; Olkin, C. B.

    1995-01-01

    Stellar occultation observations probe the atmospheric structure and extinction of outer solar system bodies with a spatial resolution of a few kilometers, and an airborne platform allows the observation of occultations by small bodies that are not visible from fixed telescopes. Results from occultations by Triton, Pluto, and Chiron observed with KAO are discussed, and future directions for this program are presented.

  3. Partial splenectomy in children with Gaucher's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bar-Maor, J.A.; Govrin-Yehudain, J.

    1985-01-01

    Because of hypersplenism and mechanical problems, partial splenectomy was performed in four children with Gaucher's disease. Subsequently, one of the patients underwent a total splenectomy due to bleeding from the remnant of the spleen. At the follow-up of the other three patients, an isotope scan showed that the remaining spleen was functioning well

  4. Diffraction-based analysis of tunnel size for a scaled external occulter testbed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirbu, Dan; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Vanderbei, Robert J.

    2016-07-01

    For performance verification of an external occulter mask (also called a starshade), scaled testbeds have been developed to measure the suppression of the occulter shadow in the pupil plane and contrast in the image plane. For occulter experiments the scaling is typically performed by maintaining an equivalent Fresnel number. The original Princeton occulter testbed was oversized with respect to both input beam and shadow propagation to limit any diffraction effects due to finite testbed enclosure edges; however, to operate at realistic space-mission equivalent Fresnel numbers an extended testbed is currently under construction. With the longer propagation distances involved, diffraction effects due to the edge of the tunnel must now be considered in the experiment design. Here, we present a diffraction-based model of two separate tunnel effects. First, we consider the effect of tunnel-edge induced diffraction ringing upstream from the occulter mask. Second, we consider the diffraction effect due to clipping of the output shadow by the tunnel downstream from the occulter mask. These calculations are performed for a representative point design relevant to the new Princeton occulter experiment, but we also present an analytical relation that can be used for other propagation distances.

  5. Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    We discuss a concept of off-centred cavity supernova explosion as applied to neutron star/supernova remnant associations and show how this concept could be used to preclude the anti-humane decapitating the Duck (G5.4-1.2 + G5.27-0.9) and dismembering the Swan (Cygnus Loop), as well as to search for a stellar remnant associated with the supernova remnant RCW86.

  6. Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants and Beyond

    OpenAIRE

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    2002-01-01

    We discuss a concept of off-centred cavity supernova explosion as applied to neutron star/supernova remnant associations and show how this concept could be used to preclude the anti-humane decapitating the Duck (G5.4-1.2 + G5.27-0.9) and dismembering the Swan (Cygnus Loop), as well as to search for a stellar remnant associated with the supernova remnant RCW86.

  7. Occult hepatitis B infection: an evolutionary scenario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lukashov Vladimir V

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Occult or latent hepatitis B virus (HBV infection is defined as infection with detectable HBV DNA and undetectable surface antigen (HBsAg in patients' blood. The cause of an overt HBV infection becoming an occult one is unknown. To gain insight into the mechanism of the development of occult infection, we compared the full-length HBV genome from a blood donor carrying an occult infection (d4 with global genotype D genomes. Results The phylogenetic analysis of polymerase, core and X protein sequences did not distinguish d4 from other genotype D strains. Yet, d4 surface protein formed the evolutionary outgroup relative to all other genotype D strains. Its evolutionary branch was the only one where accumulation of substitutions suggests positive selection (dN/dS = 1.3787. Many of these substitutiions accumulated specifically in regions encoding the core/surface protein interface, as revealed in a 3D-modeled protein complex. We identified a novel RNA splicing event (deleting nucleotides 2986-202 that abolishes surface protein gene expression without affecting polymerase, core and X-protein related functions. Genotype D strains differ in their ability to perform this 2986-202 splicing. Strains prone to 2986-202 splicing constitute a separate clade in a phylogenetic tree of genotype D HBVs. A single substitution (G173T that is associated with clade membership alters the local RNA secondary structure and is proposed to affect splicing efficiency at the 202 acceptor site. Conclusion We propose an evolutionary scenario for occult HBV infection, in which 2986-202 splicing generates intracellular virus particles devoid of surface protein, which subsequently accumulates mutations due to relaxation of coding constraints. Such viruses are deficient of autonomous propagation and cannot leave the host cell until it is lysed.

  8. Beamsteerable GNSS Radio Occultation ASIC

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We will develop an integrated RF ASIC to enable high quality radio occultation (RO) weather observations using the Global Navigations System Satellite (GNSS)...

  9. Are crab-type supernova remnants (plerions) short-lived

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiler, K.W.; Panagia, N.

    1978-01-01

    Arguments are given for a possible picture of the origin, maintenance, and lifetimes of the so-called Crab-like supernova remnants. It is suggested that these objects imply the existence of at least two distinct types of supernova events. A possible connection of the remnant types with the optically defined supernovae of Type I and Type II is discussed. Accepting that a pulsar is formed in at least some supernova events, the proposal is made that a rapidly rotating, rapidly slowing pulsar is necessary to create and maintain a Crab-like supernova remnant. Finally, arguments are presented that such a supernova remnant will be relatively short lived with respect to the more common shell-type of supernova remnant, perhaps surviving only 10000-20000 yr before fading into the Galactic background. The name of plerion is proposed for these filled-center supernova remnants and observational possiblities for confirming their nature are suggested. (orig.) [de

  10. Occult hepatitis B virus infection in immunocompromised patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Nogueira Cordeiro Moraes Jardim

    Full Text Available Occult hepatitis B infection is characterized by hepatitis B virus (HBV DNA in the serum in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg. We assessed occult HBV infection prevalence in two groups of immunocompromised patients (maintenance hemodialysis patients and HIV-positive patients presenting HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc positive serological patterns, co-infected or not by HCV. Thirty-four hemodialysis anti-HIV negative patients, 159 HIV-positive patients and 150 blood donors who were anti-HBc positive (control group were selected. HBV-DNA was detected by nested-PCR. Occult hepatitis B infection was not observed in the hemodialysis patients group but was found in 5% of the HIV-patients and in 4% of the blood donors. Immunosuppression in HIV positive patients was not a determining factor for occult HBV infection. In addition, no significant relationship between HBV-DNA and HCV co-infection in the HIV-positive patient group was found. A lack of significant associations was also observed between positivity for HBV-DNA and CD4 count, viral load and previous lamivudine treatment in these HIV-positive patients.

  11. Occult Hepatitis B Virus in Gezira State Sudan | Gasmelseed ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is simply defined as serologically undetectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg-ve), despite the presence of circulating HBV DNA. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of occult HBV among Screened HBsAg subjects in Gezira State, Sudan.

  12. Retrieval of Electron Density Profile for KOMPSAT-5 GPS Radio Occultation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Woo-Kyoung Lee

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The AOPOD (Atmosphere Occultation and Precision Orbit Determination system, the secondary payload of KOMPSAT (KOrea Multi-Purpose SATellite-5 scheduled to be launched in 2010, shall provide GPS radio occultation data. In this paper, we simulated the GPS radio occultation characteristic of KOMPSAT-5 and retrieved electron density profiles using KROPS (KASI Radio Occultation Processing Software. The electron density retrieved from CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload GPS radio occultation data on June 20, 2004 was compared with IRI (International Reference Ionosphere - 2001, PLP (Planar Langmuir Probe, and ionosonde measurements. When the result was compared with ionosonde measurements, the discrepancies were 5 km on the F_2 peak height (hmF_2 and 3×10^{10} el/m^3 on the electron density of the F_2 peak height (NmF_2. By comparing with the Langmuir Probe measurements of CHAMP satellite (PLP, both agrees with 1.6×10^{11} el/m^3 at the height of 365.6 km.

  13. Remnant cholesterol as a cause of ischemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2014-01-01

    This review focuses on remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD), on its definition, measurement, atherogenicity, and levels in high risk patient groups; in addition, present and future pharmacological approaches to lowering remnant cholesterol levels...... are considered. Observational studies show association between elevated levels of remnant cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even when remnant cholesterol levels are defined, measured, or calculated in different ways. In-vitro and animal studies also support the contention that elevated...... levels of remnant cholesterol may cause atherosclerosis same way as elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, by cholesterol accumulation in the arterial wall. Genetic studies of variants associated with elevated remnant cholesterol levels show that an increment of 1mmol/L (39mg...

  14. Recent progress on external occulter technology for imaging exosolar planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasdin, N. J.; Vanderbei, R. J.; Sirbu, D.; Samuels, J.; Shaklan, S.; Lisman, D.; Thomson, M.; Cady, E.; Martin, S.

    Imaging planets orbiting nearby stars requires a system for suppressing the host starlight by at least ten orders of magnitude. One such approach uses an external occulter, a satellite flying far from the telescope and employing a large screen, or starshade, to suppress the incoming starlight. This trades the added complexity of building the precisely shaped starshade and flying it in formation against simplifications in the telescope since extremely precise wavefront control is no longer necessary. Much progress has been made recently in designing, testing and manufacturing starshade technology. In this paper we describe the design of starshades and report on recent accomplishments in manufacturing and measuring a prototype occulter petal as part of NASA's first Technology Development for Exoplanet Missions (TDEM) program. We demonstrate that the as-built petal is consistent with a full-size occulter achieving better than 10-10 contrast. We also discuss laboratory testing at the Princeton Occulter Testbed. These experiments use sub-scale, long-distance beam propagation to verify the diffraction analysis associated with occulter starlight suppression. We demonstrate roughly 10-10 suppression in the laboratory and discuss the important challenges and limitations.

  15. Crosslink Radio Occultation for the Remote Sensing of Planetary Atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mannucci, A. J.; Ao, C. O.; Asmar, S.; Edwards, C. D.; Kahan, D. S.; Paik, M.; Pi, X.; Williamson, W.

    2015-12-01

    Radio occultation utilizing deep space telecommunication signals has been used with great success in the profiling of planetary atmospheres and ionospheres since the 1960s. A shortcoming of this technique, however, is the limited temporal and spatial sampling that it provides. We consider a different approach where radio occultation measurements are taken between two spacecraft orbiting an extra-terrestrial body. Such "crosslink" radio occultations between the Global Positioning System satellites and low-earth orbiting spacecraft have been routinely acquired to provide global observations of the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere that are used for weather forecast, climate analysis, and space weather applications. The feasibility of applying this concept to other planets has recently been demonstrated for the first time, where crosslink occultation measurements have been acquired between the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. These measurements leverage the proximity link telecommunication payloads on each orbiter, which are nominally used to provide relay communication and navigation services to Mars landers and rovers. In this presentation, we will describe the Mars crosslink experiments and the corresponding data analysis in detail. In addition, we will discuss how the crosslink occultation concepts can be effectively applied in future space exploration missions.

  16. Molecular and serological detection of occult hepatitis B virus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Occult hepatitis B infections are becoming a major global threat, but the available data on its prevalence in various parts of the world are often divergent. Objective: This study aimed to detect occult hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative serum using anti-HBc as a marker of previous infection.

  17. Occult hepatitis B among Iranian hepatitis C patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad shavakhi

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available

    • BACKGROUND: Occult hepatitis B is defined as presence of HBV DNA in tissue or serum without hepatitis B surface antigen. The aim of this study is to determine frequency of occult hepatitis B among hepatitis C patients in Tehran and compare the route of transmission and liver enzymes between positive and negative HBV DNA patients.
    • METHODS: In a cross sectional study, serum of 103 hepatitis C cases (79.6% men and 20.4% women were analyzed for s, x and core genes via a nested polymerase chain reaction technique.
    • RESULTS: HBV DNA was detectable in serum of 20 patients (19.4%. No significant difference in age, sex and route of transmission were seen in HBV DNA positive and negative patients. In HBV DNA positive and negative groups, mean of AST was 73, 47 (p < 0.05 and mean of ALT was 76 and 36 respectively (p < 0.05.
    • CONCLUSION: Occult hepatitis B was observed in a considerable number of hepatitis C patients in Tehran. It was associated with elevation in liver enzyme but was not related to route of transmission.
    • KEY WORD: Occult hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cirrhosis.

  18. Incidence of metachronous gastric cancer in the remnant stomach after synchronous multiple cancer surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozaki, Isao; Hato, Shinji; Kobatake, Takaya; Ohta, Koji; Kubo, Yoshirou; Nishimura, Rieko; Kurita, Akira

    2014-01-01

    In the preoperative evaluation for gastric cancer, high-resolution endoscopic technologies allow us to detect small accessory lesions. However, it is not known if the gastric remnant after partial gastrectomy for synchronous multiple gastric cancers has a greater risk for metachronous cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of metachronous cancer in this patient subset compared with that after solitary cancer surgery. Data on a consecutive series of 1,281 patients gastrectomized for early gastric cancer from 1991 to 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. The 715 gastric remnants after distal gastrectomy were periodically surveyed by endoscopic examination in Shikoku Cancer Center. Among those surveyed cases, 642 patients were pathologically diagnosed with solitary lesion (SO group) and 73 patients with synchronous multiple lesions (MU group) at the time of the initial surgery. In the follow-up period, 15 patients in the SO group and 3 patients in the MU group were diagnosed as having metachronous cancer in the gastric remnant. The cumulative 4-year incidence rate was 1.9 % in the SO group and 5.5 % in the MU group. The difference did not reach the significant level by the log-rank test. The incidence of metachronous cancer is higher after multiple cancer surgery; however, the difference is not statistically significant.

  19. [Occultism, parapsychology and the esoteric from the perspective of psychopathology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharfetter, C

    1998-10-01

    The concepts and main themes of occultism, parapsychology and esoterics are set in comparison to religion, spirituality, mysticism. The cultural relativity of these concepts is emphasised. Occultism means dealing with phenomena, processes, and/or powers which are not accessible to "normal perception". The manipulation of such powers is effected via (white, black, grey) magic. Parapsychology, in its popular sense, deals with occult phenomena, whereas scientific parapsychology investigates them empirically. Esoterics is a complex of beliefs within a hermetic tradition about occult processes and about desting after death. Transpersonal psychology deals with these issues while calling them "spiritual". Effects of paranormal experiences and actions on the side of the actor as well as the adept are discussed: personality types, interpersonal effects, crises and psychoses (mediumistic psychoses). The concept of dissociation of subpersonalities (subselves) appears to be a viable perspective to explain these phenomena. In mediumistic psychoses, the splitting of non-ego parts of the psyche leads to a manifestation of schizophrenic symptoms. Dangers for mental health are an ego inflation by self-attribution of "superhuman" power. A personality disposition for parapsychological perception and/or action may be seen in schizotypia and similar near-psychotic "personalities up the border". Adepts of occultism may present with a "false self" in the sense of Winnicott.

  20. McDonald's and the Occult.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Barry

    1979-01-01

    Discusses "occult" and "paranormal" literature which is often mistaken for nonfiction. Suggests that most publishers are unwilling to publish scientific perspectives on the paranormal because such writings would be unmarketable. Journal availability: see SO 507 190. (KC)

  1. Observations of Hot-Jupiter occultations combining Spitzer and Kepler photometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knutson H.

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available We present the status of an ongoing program which aim at measuring occultations by their parent stars of transiting hot giant exoplanets discovered recently by Kepler. The observations are obtained in the near infrared with WarmSpitzer Space Telescope and at optical wavelengths by combining more than a year of Kepler photometry. The investigation consists of measuring the mid-occultation times and the relative occultation depths in each band-passes. Our measurements of occultations depths in the Kepler bandpass is turned into the determination of the optical geometric albedo Ag in this wavelength domain. The brightness temperatures of these planets are deduced from the infrared observations. We combine the optical and near infrared planetary emergent fluxes to obtain broad band emergent spectra of individual planet. We finally compare these spectra to hot Jupiter atmospheric models in order broadly distinguishing these atmospheres between different classes of models.

  2. Prevalence of occult inflammatory bowel disease in ankylosing spondylitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costello, P B; Alea, J A; Kennedy, A C; McCluskey, R T; Green, F A

    1980-10-01

    Fifty-five patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 16 control patients matched for sex and age were examined for evidence of occult inflammatory bowel disease. In all patients evaluation included history and physical examination, barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, and rectal biopsy. The results of this study suggest that there is no increased prevalence of occult inflammatory bowel disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

  3. Operation of the Radio Occultation Mission in KOMPSAT-5

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansoo Choi

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Korea multi-purpose satellite-5 (KOMPSAT-5 is a low earth orbit (LEO satellite scheduled to be launched in 2010. To satisfy the precision orbit determination (POD requirement for a high resolution synthetic aperture radar image of KOMPSAT-5, KOMPSAT-5 has atmosphere occultation POD (AOPOD system which consists of a space-borne dual frequency global positioning system (GPS receiver and a laser retro reflector array. A space-borne dual frequency GPS receiver on a LEO satellite provides position data for the POD and radio occultation data for scientific applications. This paper describes an overview of AOPOD system and operation concepts of the radio occultation mission in KOMPSAT-5. We showed AOPOD system satisfies the requirements of KOMPSAT-5 in performance and stability.

  4. Lunar occultation of Saturn. IV - Astrometric results from observations of the satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunham, D. W.; Elliot, J. L.

    1978-01-01

    The method of determining local lunar limb slopes, and the consequent time scale needed for diameter studies, from accurate occultation timings at two nearby telescopes is described. Results for photoelectric observations made at Mauna Kea Observatory during the occultation of Saturn's satellites on March 30, 1974, are discussed. Analysis of all observations of occultations of Saturn's satellites during 1974 indicates possible errors in the ephemerides of Saturn and its satellites.

  5. Precise pointing knowledge for SCIAMACHY solar occultation measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Bramstedt

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available We present a method to precisely determine the viewing direction for solar occultation instruments from scans over the solar disk. Basic idea is the fit of the maximum intensity during the scan, which corresponds to the center of the solar disk in the scanning direction. We apply this method to the solar occultation measurements of the satellite instrument SCIAMACHY, which scans the Sun in elevation direction. The achieved mean precision is 0.46 mdeg, which corresponds to an tangent height error of about 26 m for individual occultation sequences. The deviation of the derived elevation angle from the geolocation information given along with the product has a seasonal cycle with an amplitude of 2.26 mdeg, which is in tangent height an amplitude of about 127 m. The mean elevation angle offset is −4.41 mdeg (249 m. SCIAMACHY's sun follower device controls the azimuth viewing direction during the occultation measurements. The derived mean azimuth direction has an standard error of 0.65 mdeg, which is about 36 m in horizontal direction at the tangent point. We observe also a seasonal cycle of the azimuth mispointing with an amplitude of 2.3 mdeg, which is slightly increasing with time. The almost constant mean offset is 88 mdeg, which is about 5.0 km horizontal offset at the tangent point.

  6. Scaled model guidelines for solar coronagraphs' external occulters with an optimized shape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landini, Federico; Baccani, Cristian; Schweitzer, Hagen; Asoubar, Daniel; Romoli, Marco; Taccola, Matteo; Focardi, Mauro; Pancrazzi, Maurizio; Fineschi, Silvano

    2017-12-01

    One of the major challenges faced by externally occulted solar coronagraphs is the suppression of the light diffracted by the occulter edge. It is a contribution to the stray light that overwhelms the coronal signal on the focal plane and must be reduced by modifying the geometrical shape of the occulter. There is a rich literature, mostly experimental, on the appropriate choice of the most suitable shape. The problem arises when huge coronagraphs, such as those in formation flight, shall be tested in a laboratory. A recent contribution [Opt. Lett.41, 757 (2016)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.41.000757] provides the guidelines for scaling the geometry and replicate in the laboratory the flight diffraction pattern as produced by the whole solar disk and a flight occulter but leaves the conclusion on the occulter scale law somehow unjustified. This paper provides the numerical support for validating that conclusion and presents the first-ever simulation of the diffraction behind an occulter with an optimized shape along the optical axis with the solar disk as a source. This paper, together with Opt. Lett.41, 757 (2016)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.41.000757, aims at constituting a complete guide for scaling the coronagraphs' geometry.

  7. Anatomic partial nephrectomy: technique evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azhar, Raed A; Metcalfe, Charles; Gill, Inderbir S

    2015-03-01

    Partial nephrectomy provides equivalent long-term oncologic and superior functional outcomes as radical nephrectomy for T1a renal masses. Herein, we review the various vascular clamping techniques employed during minimally invasive partial nephrectomy, describe the evolution of our partial nephrectomy technique and provide an update on contemporary thinking about the impact of ischemia on renal function. Recently, partial nephrectomy surgical technique has shifted away from main artery clamping and towards minimizing/eliminating global renal ischemia during partial nephrectomy. Supported by high-fidelity three-dimensional imaging, novel anatomic-based partial nephrectomy techniques have recently been developed, wherein partial nephrectomy can now be performed with segmental, minimal or zero global ischemia to the renal remnant. Sequential innovations have included early unclamping, segmental clamping, super-selective clamping and now culminating in anatomic zero-ischemia surgery. By eliminating 'under-the-gun' time pressure of ischemia for the surgeon, these techniques allow an unhurried, tightly contoured tumour excision with point-specific sutured haemostasis. Recent data indicate that zero-ischemia partial nephrectomy may provide better functional outcomes by minimizing/eliminating global ischemia and preserving greater vascularized kidney volume. Contemporary partial nephrectomy includes a spectrum of surgical techniques ranging from conventional-clamped to novel zero-ischemia approaches. Technique selection should be tailored to each individual case on the basis of tumour characteristics, surgical feasibility, surgeon experience, patient demographics and baseline renal function.

  8. Diagnostic accuracy of oblique chest radiograph for occult pneumothorax: comparison with ultrasonography

    OpenAIRE

    Matsumoto, Shokei; Sekine, Kazuhiko; Funabiki, Tomohiro; Orita, Tomohiko; Shimizu, Masayuki; Hayashida, Kei; Kazamaki, Taku; Suzuki, Tatsuya; Kishikawa, Masanobu; Yamazaki, Motoyasu; Kitano, Mitsuhide

    2016-01-01

    Backgraound An occult pneumothorax is a pneumothorax that is not seen on a supine chest X-ray but is detected by computed tomography scanning. However, critical patients are difficult to transport to the computed tomography suite. We previously reported a method to detect occult pneumothorax using oblique chest radiography (OXR). Several authors have also reported that ultrasonography is an effective technique for detecting occult pneumothorax. The aim of this study was to evaluate the useful...

  9. Occult HBV infection in HIV-infected adults and evaluation of pooled NAT for HBV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinesha, T R; Boobalan, J; Sivamalar, S; Subashini, D; Solomon, S S; Murugavel, K G; Balakrishnan, P; Smith, D M; Saravanan, S

    2018-01-06

    The study aimed to determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection among HIV-infected persons and to evaluate the use of a pooling strategy to detect occult HBV infection in the setting of HIV infection. Five hundred and two HIV-positive individuals were tested for HBV, occult HBV and hepatitis C and D with serologic and nucleic acid testing (NAT). We also evaluated a pooled NAT strategy for screening occult HBV infection among the HIV-positive individuals. The prevalence of HBV infection among HIV-positive individuals was 32 (6.4%), and occult HBV prevalence was 10%. The pooling HBV NAT had a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 100%, compared to HBV DNA NAT of individual samples. In conclusion, this study found a high prevalence of occult HBV infection among our HIV-infected population. We also demonstrated that pooled HBV NAT is highly specific, moderately sensitive and cost-effective. As conventional HBV viral load assays are expensive in resource-limited settings such as India, pooled HBV DNA NAT might be a good way for detecting occult HBV infection and will reduce HBV-associated complications. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Sensing Water Vapon via Spacecraft Radio Occultation Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kursinski, E. Robert; Hajj, George A.

    2000-01-01

    The radio occultation technique has been used to characterize planetary atmospheres since the 1960's spanning atmospheric pressures from 16 microbars to several bars. In 1988, the use of GPS signals to make occultation observations of Earth's atmosphere was realized by Tom Yunck and Gunnar Lindal at JPL. In the GPS to low-Earth-orbiter limb- viewing occultation geometry, Fresnel diffraction yield a unique combination of high vertical resolution of 100 m to 1 km at long wavelengths (approx. 20 cm) insensitive to particulate scattering which allows routine limb sounding from the lower mesosphere through the troposphere. A single orbiting GPS/GLONASS receiver can observe - 1000 to 1400 daily occultations providing as many daily, high vertical resolution soundings as the present global radiosonde network, but with far more evenly distributed, global coverage. The occultations yield profiles of refractivity as a function of height. In the cold, dry conditions of the upper troposphere and above (T less than 240 K), profiles of density, pressure (geopotential), and temperature can be derived. Given additional temperature information, water vapor can be derived in the midddle and lower troposphere with a unique combination of vertical resolution, global distribution and insensitivity to clouds and precipitation to an accuracy of approx. 0.2 g/kg. At low latitudes, moisture profiles will be accurate to 1-5% within the convective boundary layer and better than 20% below 6 to 7 km. Accuracies of climatological averages should be approx. 0. 1 g/kg limited by the biases in the temperature estimates. To use refractivity to constrain water vapor, knowledge of temperature is required. The simplest approach is to use the temperature field from an analysis such as the 6 hour ECMWF global analysis interpolated to the locations of each occultation. A better approach is to combine the temperature and moisture fields from such an analysis with the occultation refractivity in a weighting

  11. Progenitor's Signatures in Type Ia Supernova Remnants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chiotellis, A.; Kosenko, D.; Schure, K.M.; Vink, J.

    2013-01-01

    The remnants of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) can provide important clues about their progenitor histories. We discuss two well-observed supernova remnants (SNRs) that are believed to have resulted from SNe Ia, and use various tools to shed light on the possible progenitor histories. We find that

  12. Particle acceleration and nonthermal radiation in supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zirakashvili, Vladimir

    2013-01-01

    Cosmic ray acceleration and magnetic amplification in shell-type supernova remnants is shortly reviewed. The results on the modeling of broadband electromagnetic emission from supernova remnants are presented and compared with observations.

  13. Occult pneumothorax, revisited

    OpenAIRE

    Mangar Devanand; Abdelmalak Hany; Omar Hesham R; Rashad Rania; Helal Engy; Camporesi Enrico M

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Pneumothorax is a recognized cause of preventable death following chest wall trauma where a simple intervention can be life saving. In cases of trauma patients where cervical spine immobilization is mandatory, supine AP chest radiograph is the most practical initial study. It is however not as sensitive as CT chest for early detection of a pneumothorax. "Occult" pneumothorax is an accepted definition of an existing but usually a clinically and radiologically silent disturbance that i...

  14. Occurrence of occult CSF leaks during standard FESS procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bucher, S; Kugler, A; Probst, E; Epprecht, L; Stadler, R S; Holzmann, D; Soyka, M B

    2018-03-18

    To determine the incidence of occult cerebrospinal fluid leaks (CSF) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and to evaluate the diagnostic performance of beta2-transferrin in blood-contaminated conditions. Prospective cohort study. An analysis of 57 intraoperative samples using hydrogel 6 beta2-transferrin assay after FESS was undertaken. In case of CSF positive samples and continuing rhinorrhea, reanalysis after more than 1 year was conducted. In-vivo analysis of a primary spontaneous CSF leak sample took place to verify difficulties in detecting beta2-transferrin in blood-contaminated settings. Own titrations were performed to evaluate detection limits of CSF by beta2-transferrin and beta-trace protein assays in these settings. An incidence of 13% for occult CSF leaks after FESS was found. In blood-contaminated conditions, routine beta2-transferrin assays showed low sensitivity. In over 1 year follow-up, all samples were negative for CSF and none of them developed clinical relevant CSF leaks or meningitis. Occult and clinically irrelevant CSF leaks do occur in a significant proportion of patients during and shortly after FESS. Intra- and postoperatively, routine beta2-transferrin assays show low sensitivity. They should not be used in these settings. The clinical course of patients with occult CSF leaks indicated possibility of an uneventful follow-up.

  15. Complex structure of the supernova remnant HB 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leahy, D. A.; Venkatesan, D.; Long, K. S.; Naranan, S.

    1985-01-01

    HB 3 is an old, large (84 pc diameter) supernova remnant associated with the W3 H II region/molecular cloud complex. Observations of the imaging proportional counter (IPC) onboard the Einstein X-ray astronomy satellite have been reprocessed to yield a contour map of X-ray brightness and spectra of various regions of this remnant. The measured IPC flux is 2.4 x 10 to the -11th ergs per sq cm per s, giving a 0.2-4 keV luminosity of 1.6 x 10 to the 35th ergs/s for a column densityof 6 x 10 to the 21st per sq cm. The measured X-ray temperatures reveal a decrease from center to limb of the remnant of 1-0.3 keV. HB 3 is in the late adiabatic blast-wave phase of evolution, 30,000 to 50,000 yr old and with an initial blast energy of 3 x 10 to the 50th ergs. The X-ray map is compared with available radio and optical images. In X-rays, HB 3 has two components - a diffuse emission inside the 84 pc radio remnant and a ring of emission at the center of 30 pc in diameter. The diffuse emission is similar to that from other supernova remnants which are moderately obscured (column density, nH approximately 10 to the 22nd per sq cm). Three possibilities for the origin of the ring are explored: (1) a second supernova remnant, (2) a shocked shell in the interstellar medium surrounding HB 3, and (3) reverse-shock heated ejecta. There is no hot neutron star within the remnant.

  16. Optimization of the occulter for the Solar Orbiter/METIS coronagraph

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landini, Federico; Vivès, Sébastien; Romoli, Marco; Guillon, Christophe; Pancrazzi, Maurizio; Escolle, Clement; Focardi, Mauro; Antonucci, Ester; Fineschi, Silvano; Naletto, Giampiero; Nicolini, Gianalfredo; Nicolosi, Piergiorgio; Spadaro, Daniele

    2012-09-01

    METIS (Multi Element Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy investigation), selected to fly aboard the Solar Orbiter ESA/NASA mission, is conceived to perform imaging (in visible, UV and EUV) and spectroscopy (in EUV) of the solar corona, by means of an integrated instrument suite located on a single optical bench and sharing the same aperture on the satellite heat shield. As every coronagraph, METIS is highly demanding in terms of stray light suppression. Coronagraphs history teaches that a particular attention must be dedicated to the occulter optimization. The METIS occulting system is of particular interest due to its innovative concept. In order to meet the strict thermal requirements of Solar Orbiter, METIS optical design has been optimized by moving the entrance pupil at the level of the external occulter on the S/C thermal shield, thus reducing the size of the external aperture. The scheme is based on an inverted external-occulter (IEO). The IEO consists of a circular aperture on the Solar Orbiter thermal shield. A spherical mirror rejects back the disk-light through the IEO. A breadboard of the occulting assembly (BOA) has been manufactured in order to perform stray light tests in front of two solar simulators (in Marseille, France and in Torino, Italy). A first measurement campaign has been carried on at the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille. In this paper we describe the BOA design, the laboratory set-up and the preliminary results.

  17. Radioimmune localization of occult carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duda, R.B.; Zimmer, A.M.; Rosen, S.T.; Gilyon, K.A.; Webber, D.; Spies, S.; Spies, W.; Merchant, B.

    1990-01-01

    Patients with a rising serum carcinoembryonic antigen level and no clinical or roentgenographic evidence of recurrent or metastatic cancer present a treatment dilemma. Eleven such patients, 10 with a previously treated colorectal carcinoma and 1 with a previously treated breast carcinoma, received an injection of the anticarcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibody ZCE-025 labeled with the radioisotope indium 111. Nuclear scintigraphy was performed on days 3 and 5 through 7 to detect potential sites of tumor recurrence. The monoclonal antibody scan accurately predicted the presence or absence of occult malignancy in 7 (64%) patients. Second-look laparotomy confirmed the monoclonal antibody scan results in the patients with colorectal cancer, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed metastatic breast cancer. This study demonstrates that In-ZCE-025 can localize occult carcinoma and may assist the surgeon in facilitating the operative exploration. In-ZCE-025 assisted in the initiation of adjuvant therapy for the patient with breast cancer

  18. GALACTIC AND EXTRAGALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANTS AS SITES OF PARTICLE ACCELERATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manami Sasaki

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Supernova remnants, owing to their strong shock waves, are likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Studies of supernova remnants in X-rays and gamma rays provide us with new insights into the acceleration of particles to high energies. This paper reviews the basic physics of supernova remnant shocks and associated particle acceleration and radiation processes. In addition, the study of supernova remnant populations in nearby galaxies and the implications for Galactic cosmic ray distribution are discussed.

  19. Molecular clouds near supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wootten, H.A.

    1978-01-01

    The physical properties of molecular clouds near supernova remnants were investigated. Various properties of the structure and kinematics of these clouds are used to establish their physical association with well-known remmnants. An infrared survey of the most massive clouds revealed embedded objects, probably stars whose formation was induced by the supernova blast wave. In order to understand the relationship between these and other molecular clouds, a control group of clouds was also observed. Excitation models for dense regions of all the clouds are constructed to evaluate molecular abundances in these regions. Those clouds that have embedded stars have lower molecular abundances than the clouds that do not. A cloud near the W28 supernova remnant also has low abundances. Molecular abundances are used to measure an important parameter, the electron density, which is not directly observable. In some clouds extensive deuterium fractionation is observed which confirms electron density measurements in those clouds. Where large deuterium fractionation is observed, the ionization rate in the cloud interior can also be measured. The electron density and ionization rate in the cloud near W28 are higher than in most clouds. The molecular abundances and electron densities are functions of the chemical and dynamical state of evolution of the cloud. Those clouds with lowest abundances are probably the youngest clouds. As low-abundance clouds, some clouds near supernova remnants may have been recently swept from the local interstellar material. Supernova remnants provide sites for star formation in ambient clouds by compressing them, and they sweep new clouds from more diffuse local matter

  20. Diffuse remnants of supernova explosions of moving massive stars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    The modification of the ambient interstellar medium by the wind of massive stars (the progenitors of most of supernovae) results in that the structure and evolution of diffuse supernova remnants (SNRs) significantly deviate from those derived from standard models of SNRs based of the Sedov-Taylor solution. The stellar proper motion and the regular interstellar magnetic field affect the symmetry of the processed medium and cause the SNR to be non-spherically-symmetric. We show that taking into account these effects allows us to explain the diverse morphologies of the known SNRs (the particular attention is paid to the elongated axisymmetric SNRs and the SNRs consisting of two partially overlapping shells) and to infer the ``true" supernova explosion sites in some peculiar SNRs (therefore to search for new neutron stars associated with them).

  1. James Webb Space Telescope Observations of Stellar Occultations by Solar System Bodies and Rings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos-Sanz, P.; French, R. G.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Stansberry, J.; Lin, Z-Y.; Zhang, Z-W.; Vilenius, E.; Mueller, Th.; Ortiz, J. L.; Braga-Ribas, F.; hide

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the opportunities provided by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for significant scientific advances in the study of Solar System bodies and rings using stellar occultations. The strengths and weaknesses of the stellar occultation technique are evaluated in light of JWST's unique capabilities. We identify several possible JWST occultation events by minor bodies and rings and evaluate their potential scientific value. These predictions depend critically on accurate a priori knowledge of the orbit of JWST near the Sun–Earth Lagrange point 2 (L2). We also explore the possibility of serendipitous stellar occultations by very small minor bodies as a byproduct of other JWST observing programs. Finally, to optimize the potential scientific return of stellar occultation observations, we identify several characteristics of JWST's orbit and instrumentation that should be taken into account during JWST's development.

  2. [Recurrent neck abscess due to a branchial cleft remnant].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruijff, Schelto; Mastboom, Walter J; Vriens, Menno R; Sidhu, Stan B; Delbridge, Leigh W

    2013-01-01

    Abscesses arising from a third or fourth branchial cleft remnant are uncommon clinical entities and are often not recognised in a timely manner. In a 33-year-old female patient with a recurrent abscess in the left side of her neck, the cause turned out to be a fistula in the third branchial cleft remnant. She was treated initially with antibiotics and prednisone without adequate results. When the abscess was finally surgically drained, she became very ill and was admitted to the ICU with sepsis and multiple organ failure. She was discharged from hospital after six weeks. Four months later, a third-branchial cleft remnant was found during pharyngoscopy, immediately after which the cleft remnant fistula was excised and an ipsilateral hemi-thyroidectomy was performed. In young patients with recurring peri-thyroidal abscesses, a branchial cleft remnant should be considered a causative factor; this could avoid high morbidity and a delay in the appropriate treatment.

  3. Recurring sets of recurring starspot occultations on exoplanet host Qatar-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Močnik, T.; Southworth, J.; Hellier, C.

    2017-10-01

    We announce the detection of recurring sets of recurring starspot occultation events in the short-cadence K2 light curve of Qatar-2, a K dwarf star transited every 1.34 d by a hot Jupiter. In total, we detect 34 individual starspot occultation events, caused by five different starspots, occulted in up to five consecutive transits or after a full stellar rotation. The longest recurring set of recurring starspot occultations spans over three stellar rotations, setting a lower limit for the longest starspot lifetime of 58 d. Starspot analysis provided a robust stellar rotational period measurement of 18.0 ± 0.2 d and indicates that the system is aligned, having a sky-projected obliquity of 0° ± 8°. A pronounced rotational modulation in the light curve has a period of 18.2 ± 1.6 d, in agreement with the rotational period derived from the starspot occultations. We tentatively detect an ellipsoidal modulation in the phase curve, with a semi-amplitude of 18 ppm, but cannot exclude the possibility that this is the result of red noise or imperfect removal of the rotational modulation. We detect no transit-timing and transit-duration variations with upper limits of 15 s and 1 min, respectively. We also reject any additional transiting planets with transit depths above 280 ppm in the orbital period region 0.5-30 d.

  4. A method to detect occult pneumothorax with chest radiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Shokei; Kishikawa, Masanobu; Hayakawa, Koichi; Narumi, Atsushi; Matsunami, Katsutoshi; Kitano, Mitsuhide

    2011-04-01

    Small pneumothoraces are often not visible on supine screening chest radiographs because they develop anteriorly to the lung. These pneumothoraces are termed occult. Occult pneumothoraces account for an astonishingly high 52% to 63% of all traumatic pneumothoraces. A 19-year-old obese woman was involved in a head-on car accident. The admission anteroposterior chest radiographs were unremarkable. Because of the presence of right chest tenderness and an abrasion, we suspected the presence of a pneumothorax. Thus, we decided to take a supine oblique chest radiograph of the right side of the thorax, which clearly revealed a visceral pleural line, consistent with a diagnosis of traumatic pneumothorax. A pneumothorax may be present when a supine chest radiograph reveals either an apparent deepening of the costophrenic angle (the "deep sulcus sign") or the presence of 2 diaphragm-lung interfaces (the "double diaphragm sign"). However, in practice, supine chest radiographs have poor sensitivity for occult pneumothoraces. Oblique chest radiograph is a useful and fast screening tool that should be considered for cases of blunt chest trauma, especially when transport of critically ill patients to the computed tomographic suite is dangerous or when imminent transfer to another hospital is being arranged and early diagnosis of an occult pneumothorax is essential. Copyright © 2010 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Ultrasound detection of nonpalpable mammographically occult malignancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simpson, W.L.; Hermann, G.; Rausch, D.R.; Sherman, J.; Feig, S.A.; Bleiweiss, I.J.; Jaffer, S.

    2008-01-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of occult malignancy with screening breast ultrasound. All ultrasound-guided core needle breast biopsies performed between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 2001, were retrospectively reviewed. Lesions were identified during screening breast ultrasound in high-risk women with no mammographic or palpable abnormality in either breast, a unilateral mammographic or palpable abnormality in the contralateral breast, or a unilateral mammographic or palpable abnormality in a different quadrant of the same breast. All ultrasound-detected lesions were histologically verified. Six hundred and fifty-two women with a mean age of 49 years underwent 698 biopsies during the study period. Three hundred and forty-nine of these lesions were detected at screening breast ultrasound. Out of 349, 11 (3.2%) had a mammographically and clinically occult malignancy. Nine cancers were found in women with no mammographic or palpable abnormality. Two cancers were found in the same breast as the mammographic or palpable abnormality. None were found in the breast contralateral to a palpable or mammographic abnormality. Screening breast ultrasound of high-risk women has a similar detection rate for occult carcinoma as screening mammography, but has a low positive predictive value in cases where biopsy is performed. (author)

  6. Cystic duct remnant mucocele in a liver transplant recipient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahlawat, Sushil K.; Fishbien, Thomas M.; Haddad, Nadim G.

    2008-01-01

    Cystic duct remnant mucocele is an extremely rare complication of liver transplantation in children. Surgical correction is usually required for cystic duct remnant mucocele when it causes biliary obstruction. We describe a 14-month-old liver transplant recipient who presented with biliary obstruction 1 month after orthotopic liver transplantation with an end-to-end choledochocholedocal biliary anastomosis for hepatoblastoma. US, CT and cholangiography findings were consistent with mucocele of the allograft cystic duct remnant. Surgery was not needed in our patient because the mucocele and biliary obstruction had resolved on repeat imaging most likely due to guidewire manipulation during cholangiography, resulting in opening of the cystic duct remnant orifice and drainage into the common duct. (orig.)

  7. Cystic duct remnant mucocele in a liver transplant recipient

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahlawat, Sushil K. [Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington, DC (United States); University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ (United States); Fishbien, Thomas M. [Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington, DC (United States); Haddad, Nadim G. [Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Washington, DC (United States)

    2008-08-15

    Cystic duct remnant mucocele is an extremely rare complication of liver transplantation in children. Surgical correction is usually required for cystic duct remnant mucocele when it causes biliary obstruction. We describe a 14-month-old liver transplant recipient who presented with biliary obstruction 1 month after orthotopic liver transplantation with an end-to-end choledochocholedocal biliary anastomosis for hepatoblastoma. US, CT and cholangiography findings were consistent with mucocele of the allograft cystic duct remnant. Surgery was not needed in our patient because the mucocele and biliary obstruction had resolved on repeat imaging most likely due to guidewire manipulation during cholangiography, resulting in opening of the cystic duct remnant orifice and drainage into the common duct. (orig.)

  8. Extended partial cystectomy with augmentation cystoplasty in urachal adenocarcinoma: An oncologically favorable but underutilized alternative to radical cystectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohan Satish Valsangkar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Partial/extended partial cystectomy (EPC is the most common surgery done for localized urachal malignancies. However, sometimes, after EPC, patients may be left with small bladder remnant, reconstruction of which will result in very small capacity bladder with resultant severe storage voiding symptoms. We report a case of urachal adenocarcinoma, in which when a small bladder remnant was left post-EPC, instead of proceeding with radical cystectomy (RC and neobladder (the standard alternative, bladder augmentation was done with good oncological and voiding outcome. Augmentation cystoplasty has many advantages over neobladder and we suggest it as an oncologically comparable alternative to RC with neobladder, which has been underutilized in urachal malignancies as we found on literature review.

  9. Presentation of Axillary Metastases from Occult Breast Carcinoma

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xin Wang

    2007-01-01

    Axillary presentation from occult breast cancer is uncommon and continues to be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to physicians.Once the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma metastatic to an axillary lymph node has been confirmed,a preoperative workup should be done.The current experience is based on several relatively small retrospective reviews and case reports.It is difficult to determine the best management of occult breast cancer.However,treatmenl of axillary Iymph node dissection is recommended for local control and complete staging information.Treatment of breast should be a choice between breast conservation with whole-breast radiotherapy and mastectomy.Adjuvant systemic treatment should be offered.

  10. Developing an Optical Lunar Occultation Measurement Reduction System for Observations at Kaau Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malawi, Abdulrahman A.

    2013-06-01

    We present here a detailed explanation of the reduction method that we use to determine the angular diameters of the stars occulted by the dark limb of the moon. This is a main part of the lunar occultation observation program running at King Abdul Aziz University observatory since late 1993. The process is based on the least square model fitting method of analyzing occultation data, first introduced by Nather et al. (Astron. J. 75:963, 1970).

  11. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A, matrix metalloproteinase-1, and macrophage migration inhibition factor changes in the porcine remnant kidney model: Evaluation by MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Sanjay; Misra, Khamal D; Glockner, James F.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose To determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF), and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in the porcine remnant kidney model and quantify renal blood flow and volume using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging with magnetic resonance angiography (PC MRI/MRA). Material and methods In 23 pigs, the left renal artery was completely embolized using polyvinyl acrylide (PVA) particles and the right kidney partially embolized (remnant kidney) while six pigs served as controls. The animals were sacrificed early (day 3, 7, and 14, N=3), day 24 (D24, N=5), day 37 (D37, N=3), day 42 (D42, N=9), and day 84 (D84, N=3). MRI/PC MRA of the kidneys was performed prior to sacrifice. The remnant and control kidneys were harvested for Western blotting of VEGF-A, MMP-1, and MIF. Blood was removed for BUN and creatinine prior to embolization and at time of sacrifice. Results The kidney function after the embolization was characterized by chronic renal insufficiency. The renal artery blood flow, volume, and weight of the remnant kidney increased significantly over time when compared to controls. At early time points, there was increased expression of MIF and MMP-1 followed by an increase in the expression of VEGF-A by day 37 (P<0.05 when compared to control). Masson's trichrome staining of the remnant kidney revealed scarring in the tubulointerstitial space. Conclusions In this model, renal blood flow and volume increase as the remnant kidney hypertrophies and scars. There is increased expression of MIF, VEGF-A, and MMP-1 in the remnant kidney. PMID:20610182

  12. Generation of Cosmic rays in Historical Supernova Remnants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sinitsyna V.Y.

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available We present the results of observations of two types of Galactic supernova remnants with the SHALON mirror Cherenkov telescope of Tien-Shan high-mountain Observatory: the shell-type supernova remnants Tycho, Cas A and IC 443; plerions Crab Nebula, 3c58(SN1181 and Geminga (probably plerion. The experimental data have confirmed the prediction of the theory about the hadronic generation mechanism of very high energy (800 GeV - 100 TeV gamma-rays in Tycho's supernova remnant. The data obtainedsuggest that the very high energy gamma-ray emission in the objects being discussedis different in origin.

  13. [Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Hyperthyroidism Complicated with Occult Thyroid Carcinoma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xin; Yu, Jian-chun; Kang, Wei-ming; Ma, Zhi-qiang; Ye, Xin

    2015-08-01

    To evaluate the surgical diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperthyroidism complicated with occult thyroid carcinoma. Data of 51 cases of primary hyperthyroidism complicated with occult thyroid carcinoma admitted during January 2004 to November 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The incidence of occult thyroid carcinoma was 5.03% in hyperthyroidism,and 47 cases (92.16%) were female. The preoperative diagnosis of all these 51 cases was primary hyperthyroidism and 11 cases were diagnosed thyroid carcinoma at the same time;25 cases were diagnosed thyroid carcinoma by frozen section and the remaining 26 cases were diagnosed by postoperative pathology. Finally,26 cases underwent subtotal thyroidectomy,4 cases underwent total thyroidectomy, and 21 cases underwent total thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy. The tumor size ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 cm [mean:(0.63 ± 0.35) cm]. The lesions were less than or equal to 0.5 cm in 28 cases (54.9%). The follow-up lasted from 1 to 121 months [mean:(28.6 ± 22.7)months] in 43 patients,and all of them survived. Primary hyperthyroidism complicated with occult thyroid carcinoma is commonly found in female patients. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Ultrasound is the major examining method. Frozen section can increase the detection rate. The postoperative prognosis of hyperthyroidism complicated with occult thyroid carcinoma is satisfactory.

  14. Supernova remnants and the origin of cosmic rays

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vink, J.

    2014-01-01

    Supernova remnants have long been considered to be the dominant sources of Galactic cosmic rays. For a long time the prime evidence consisted of radio synchrotron radiation from supernova remnants, indicating the presence of electrons with energies of several GeV. However, in order to explain the

  15. Occult fractures of the knee: tomographic evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apple, J.S.; Martinez, S.; Allen, N.B.; Caldwell, D.S.; Rice, J.R.

    1983-01-01

    Seven adults with painful effusions of the knee were examined for occult fractures using pluridirectional tomograph in the coronal and lateral planes. Six patients (ages 50 to 82 years) were osteopenic and gave histories ranging from none to mild trauma; one 26-year-old man was not osteopenic and had severe trauma. In all cases, routine radiographs were interpreted as negative, but tomography demonstrated a fracture. Five fractures were subchondral. Bone scans in 2 patients were positive. The authors conclude that osteopenic patients with a painful effusion of the knee should be considered to have an occult fracture. While bone scans may be helpful, tomography is recommended as the procedure of choice to define the location and extent of the fracture

  16. Remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahatma, V. H.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Williams, W. L.; Brienza, M.; Brüggen, M.; Croston, J. H.; Gurkan, G.; Harwood, J. J.; Kunert-Bajraszewska, M.; Morganti, R.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Shimwell, T. W.; Tasse, C.

    2018-04-01

    Only a small fraction of observed active galactic nuclei (AGN) display large-scale radio emission associated with jets, yet these radio-loud AGN have become increasingly important in models of galaxy evolution. In determining the dynamics and energetics of the radio sources over cosmic time, a key question concerns what happens when their jets switch off. The resulting `remnant' radio-loud AGN have been surprisingly evasive in past radio surveys, and therefore statistical information on the population of radio-loud AGN in their dying phase is limited. In this paper, with the recent developments of Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Very Large Array, we are able to provide a systematically selected sample of remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field. Using a simple core-detection method, we constrain the upper limit on the fraction of remnants in our radio-loud AGN sample to 9 per cent, implying that the extended lobe emission fades rapidly once the core/jets turn off. We also find that our remnant sample has a wide range of spectral indices (-1.5≤slant α ^{1400}_{150}≤slant -0.5), confirming that the lobes of some remnants may possess flat spectra at low frequencies just as active sources do. We suggest that, even with the unprecedented sensitivity of LOFAR, our sample may still only contain the youngest of the remnant population.

  17. Dusty Dwarfs Galaxies Occulting A Bright Background Spiral

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holwerda, Benne

    2017-08-01

    The role of dust in shaping the spectral energy distributions of low mass disk galaxies remains poorly understood. Recent results from the Herschel Space Observatory imply that dwarf galaxies contain large amounts of cool (T 20K) dust, coupled with very modest optical extinctions. These seemingly contradictory conclusions may be resolved if dwarfs harbor a variety of dust geometries, e.g., dust at larger galactocentric radii or in quiescent dark clumps. We propose HST observations of six truly occulting dwarf galaxies drawn from the Galaxy Zoo catalog of silhouetted galaxy pairs. Confirmed, true occulting dwarfs are rare as most low-mass disks in overlap are either close satellites or do not have a confirmed redshift. Dwarf occulters are the key to determining the spatial extent of dust, the small scale structure introduced by turbulence, and the prevailing dust attenuation law. The recent spectroscopic confirmation of bona-fide low mass occulting dwarfs offers an opportunity to map dust in these with HST. What is the role of dust in the SED of these dwarf disk galaxies? With shorter feedback scales, how does star-formation affect their morphology and dust composition, as revealed from their attenuation curve? The resolution of HST allows us to map the dust disks down to the fine scale structure of molecular clouds and multi-wavelength imaging maps the attenuation curve and hence dust composition in these disks. We therefore ask for 2 orbits on each of 6 dwarf galaxies in F275W, F475W, F606W, F814W and F125W to map dust from UV to NIR to constrain the attenuation curve.

  18. Estimation and evaluation of COSMIC radio occultation excess phase using undifferenced measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Pengfei; Ye, Shirong; Jiang, Kecai; Chen, Dezhong

    2017-05-01

    In the GPS radio occultation technique, the atmospheric excess phase (AEP) can be used to derive the refractivity, which is an important quantity in numerical weather prediction. The AEP is conventionally estimated based on GPS double-difference or single-difference techniques. These two techniques, however, rely on the reference data in the data processing, increasing the complexity of computation. In this study, an undifferenced (ND) processing strategy is proposed to estimate the AEP. To begin with, we use PANDA (Positioning and Navigation Data Analyst) software to perform the precise orbit determination (POD) for the purpose of acquiring the position and velocity of the mass centre of the COSMIC (The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate) satellites and the corresponding receiver clock offset. The bending angles, refractivity and dry temperature profiles are derived from the estimated AEP using Radio Occultation Processing Package (ROPP) software. The ND method is validated by the COSMIC products in typical rising and setting occultation events. Results indicate that rms (root mean square) errors of relative refractivity differences between undifferenced and atmospheric profiles (atmPrf) provided by UCAR/CDAAC (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Centre) are better than 4 and 3 % in rising and setting occultation events respectively. In addition, we also compare the relative refractivity bias between ND-derived methods and atmPrf profiles of globally distributed 200 COSMIC occultation events on 12 December 2013. The statistical results indicate that the average rms relative refractivity deviation between ND-derived and COSMIC profiles is better than 2 % in the rising occultation event and better than 1.7 % in the setting occultation event. Moreover, the observed COSMIC refractivity profiles from ND processing strategy are further validated using European Centre for Medium

  19. Neutron Star/supernova Remnant Associations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    We propose a new approach for studying the neutron star/supernova remnant associations, based on the idea that the (diffuse) supernova remnants (SNRs) can be products of an off-centred supernova (SN) explosion in a preexisting bubble created by the wind of a moving massive star. A cavity SN explosion of a moving star results in a considerable offset of the neutron star (NS) birth-place from the geometrical centre of the SNR. Therefore: a) the high transverse velocities inferred for a number of NSs (e.g. PSR B 1610-50, PSR B 1757-24, SGR 0525-66) through their association with SNRs can be reduced; b) the proper motion vector of a NS should not necessarily point away from the geometrical centre of the associated SNR. Taking into account of these two facts allow us to enlarge the circle of possible NS/SNR associations, and could significantly affect the results of previous studies of NS/SNR associations. The possibilities of our approach are illustrated with the example of the association between PSR B 1706-44 and SNR G 343.1-2.3. We show that this association could be real if both objects are the remnants of a SN exploded within a mushroom-like cavity (created by the SN progenitor wind breaking out of the parent molecular cloud and expanding into an intercloud medium of a much less density). We also show that the SN explosion sites in some middle-aged (shell-like) SNRs could be marked by (compact) nebulae of thermal X-ray emission. The possible detection of such nebulae within middle-aged SNRs could be used for the re-estimation of implied transverse velocities of known NSs or for the search of new stellar remnants possibly associated with these SNRs.

  20. Occult Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

    OpenAIRE

    Kirkpatrick, John N.

    1987-01-01

    A syndrome of headache, fatigue, dizziness, paresthesias, chest pain, palpitations and visual disturbances was associated with chronic occult carbon monoxide exposure in 26 patients in a primary care setting. A causal association was supported by finding a source of carbon monoxide in a patient's home, workplace or vehicle; results of screening tests that ruled out other illnesses; an abnormally high carboxyhemoglobin level in 11 of 14 patients tested, and abatement or resolution of symptoms ...

  1. Detection of occult abscesses with 111In-labeled leukocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, W.R.; Gurevich, N.; Goris, M.L.; McDougall, I.R.

    1979-01-01

    Clinicians are frequently faced with the problem of a patient in whom they suspect an occult abscess. In such a situation, there may be no clinical signs to localize the site of the abscess and often extensive investigations do not provide additional useful information. This report illustrates the efficacy of autologous leukocytes labeled with 111 In oxine in detecting the site and extent of occult abscesses in two patients. The technique of in vitro lebeling of leukocytes is simple and has been mastered by all of our nuclear medicine technologists

  2. A prospective evaluation of occult disorders in obstructed defecation using the 'iceberg diagram'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pescatori, M; Spyrou, M; Pulvirenti d'Urso, A

    2007-06-01

    Surgical treatment of constipation and obstructed defecation (OD) carries frequent recurrences, as OD is an 'iceberg syndrome' characterized by 'underwater rocks' or occult diseases which may affect the outcome of surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate occult disorders, in order to alert the clinician of these and minimize failures. One hundred consecutive constipated patients with OD symptoms, 81 women, median age 52 years, underwent perineal examination, proctoscopy, anorectal manometry and anal/vaginal ultrasound (US). Anorectal physiology and imaging tests were also carried out when indicated, as well as psychological and urogynaecological consultations. Symptoms were graded using a modified 1-20 constipation score. Both evident (e.g. rectocele) and occult (e.g. anismus) diseases were prospectively evaluated using a novel 'iceberg diagram'. The type of treatment, whether conservative or surgical, was also recorded. Fifty-four (54%) patients had both mucosal prolapse and rectocele. All patients had at least two occult OD-related diseases, 66 patients had at least three of them: anxiety-depression, anismus and rectal hyposensation were the most frequent (66%, 44% and 33%, respectively). The median constipation score was 11 (range 2-20), the median number of 'occult disorders' was 5 (range 2-8). Conservative treatment was carried out in most cases. Surgery was carried out in 14 (14%) patients. The novel 'iceberg diagram' allowed the adequate evaluation of OD-related occult diseases and better selection of patients for treatment. Most were managed conservatively, and only a minority were treated by surgery.

  3. X-ray haloes around supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morfill, G.E.; Aschenbach, B.

    1984-01-01

    Recent observations of the Cas-A supernova remnant have shown X-ray emissions not only from the interior, but also from a fainter 'halo' extending beyond what is normally regarded as the outer boundary, or shock front. The authors suggest that this may be due to the diffusion of energetic, charged particles out of the remnant giving rise to precursor structure of the type predicted by the theory of diffusive shock acceleration. If this is the case we are seeing thermal emission from ambient gas heated by compression and wave dissipation. (author)

  4. X-ray haloes around supernova remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morfill, G.E.; Aschenbach, B. (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Garching (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Extraterrestrische Physik); Drury, L.O' C. (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany, F.R.))

    1984-09-27

    Recent observations of the Cas-A supernova remnant have shown X-ray emissions not only from the interior, but also from a fainter 'halo' extending beyond what is normally regarded as the outer boundary, or shock front. The authors suggest that this may be due to the diffusion of energetic charged particles out of the remnant giving rise to precursor structure of the type predicted by the theory of diffusive shock acceleration. If this is the case we are seeing thermal emission from ambient gas heated by compression and wave dissipation.

  5. Error analysis for mesospheric temperature profiling by absorptive occultation sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. J. Rieder

    Full Text Available An error analysis for mesospheric profiles retrieved from absorptive occultation data has been performed, starting with realistic error assumptions as would apply to intensity data collected by available high-precision UV photodiode sensors. Propagation of statistical errors was investigated through the complete retrieval chain from measured intensity profiles to atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature profiles. We assumed unbiased errors as the occultation method is essentially self-calibrating and straight-line propagation of occulted signals as we focus on heights of 50–100 km, where refractive bending of the sensed radiation is negligible. Throughout the analysis the errors were characterized at each retrieval step by their mean profile, their covariance matrix and their probability density function (pdf. This furnishes, compared to a variance-only estimation, a much improved insight into the error propagation mechanism. We applied the procedure to a baseline analysis of the performance of a recently proposed solar UV occultation sensor (SMAS – Sun Monitor and Atmospheric Sounder and provide, using a reasonable exponential atmospheric model as background, results on error standard deviations and error correlation functions of density, pressure, and temperature profiles. Two different sensor photodiode assumptions are discussed, respectively, diamond diodes (DD with 0.03% and silicon diodes (SD with 0.1% (unattenuated intensity measurement noise at 10 Hz sampling rate. A factor-of-2 margin was applied to these noise values in order to roughly account for unmodeled cross section uncertainties. Within the entire height domain (50–100 km we find temperature to be retrieved to better than 0.3 K (DD / 1 K (SD accuracy, respectively, at 2 km height resolution. The results indicate that absorptive occultations acquired by a SMAS-type sensor could provide mesospheric profiles of fundamental variables such as temperature with

  6. Error analysis for mesospheric temperature profiling by absorptive occultation sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. J. Rieder

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available An error analysis for mesospheric profiles retrieved from absorptive occultation data has been performed, starting with realistic error assumptions as would apply to intensity data collected by available high-precision UV photodiode sensors. Propagation of statistical errors was investigated through the complete retrieval chain from measured intensity profiles to atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature profiles. We assumed unbiased errors as the occultation method is essentially self-calibrating and straight-line propagation of occulted signals as we focus on heights of 50–100 km, where refractive bending of the sensed radiation is negligible. Throughout the analysis the errors were characterized at each retrieval step by their mean profile, their covariance matrix and their probability density function (pdf. This furnishes, compared to a variance-only estimation, a much improved insight into the error propagation mechanism. We applied the procedure to a baseline analysis of the performance of a recently proposed solar UV occultation sensor (SMAS – Sun Monitor and Atmospheric Sounder and provide, using a reasonable exponential atmospheric model as background, results on error standard deviations and error correlation functions of density, pressure, and temperature profiles. Two different sensor photodiode assumptions are discussed, respectively, diamond diodes (DD with 0.03% and silicon diodes (SD with 0.1% (unattenuated intensity measurement noise at 10 Hz sampling rate. A factor-of-2 margin was applied to these noise values in order to roughly account for unmodeled cross section uncertainties. Within the entire height domain (50–100 km we find temperature to be retrieved to better than 0.3 K (DD / 1 K (SD accuracy, respectively, at 2 km height resolution. The results indicate that absorptive occultations acquired by a SMAS-type sensor could provide mesospheric profiles of fundamental variables such as temperature with

  7. Influence of misalignments on the performance of externally occulted solar coronagraphs. Application to PROBA-3/ASPIICS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shestov, S. V.; Zhukov, A. N.

    2018-05-01

    Context. The ASPIICS instrument is a novel externally occulted coronagraph that will be launched on board the PROBA-3 mission of the European Space Agency. The external occulter will be placed on one satellite 150 m ahead of the second satellite that will carry an optical instrument. During 6 h out of 19.38 h of orbit, the satellites will fly in a precise (accuracy around a few millimeters) formation, constituting a giant externally occulted coronagraph. The large distance between the external occulter and the primary objective will allow observations of the white-light solar corona starting from extremely low heights 1.1R⊙. Aims: We intend to analyze influence of shifts of the satellites and misalignments of optical elements on the ASPIICS performance in terms of diffracted light. Based on the quantitative influence of misalignments on diffracted light, we provide a recipe for choosing the size of the internal occulter (IO) to achieve a trade-off between the minimal height of observations and sustainability to possible misalignments. Methods: We considered different types of misalignments and analyzed their influence from optical and computational points of view. We implemented a numerical model of the diffracted light and its propagation through the optical system and computed intensities of diffracted light throughout the instrument. Our numerical approach is based on a model from the literature that considered the axisymmetrical case. Here we extend the model to include nonsymmetrical cases and possible misalignments. Results: The numerical computations fully confirm the main properties of the diffracted light that we obtained from semi-analytical consideration. We obtain that relative influences of various misalignments are significantly different. We show that the internal occulter with RIO = 1.694 mm = 1.1R⊙ is large enough to compensate possible misalignments expected to occur in PROBA-3/ASPIICS. Besides that we show that apodizing the edge of the

  8. Parapsychology on the couch: the psychology of occult belief in Germany, c. 1870-1939.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolffram, Heather

    2006-01-01

    This article considers the attempts of academic psychologists and critical occultists in Germany during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to construct a psychology of occult belief. While they claimed that the purpose of this new subdiscipline was to help evaluate the work of occult researchers, the emergence of a psychology of occult belief in Germany served primarily to pathologize parapsychology and its practitioners. Not to be outdone, however, parapsychologists argued that their adversaries suffered from a morbid inability to accept the reality of the paranormal. Unable to resolve through experimental means the dispute over who should be allowed to mold the public's understanding of the occult, both sides resorted to defaming their opponent. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Categorizing the Occult: Vodun, Sorcery and Religious Beliefs In Benin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strandsbjerg, Camilla

    2011-01-01

    In everyday life in Benin as well as in academic research on the topic, the terms of vodun, witchcraft and the occult are often used in a non distinct way covering quite similar phenomena while at the same time referring to different kinds of beliefs and practices. The problem of understanding...... confronted with this difficulty. Both because the vodun, as a recognized religion in the country - equal to Islam and Christianity - , plays an important role in society as well as in individual life, but also because all area of social life are on one level or another influenced by beliefs and practices...... characterized as witchcraft or occult. Reflecting upon earlier research and particularly on the choice of terminology of the occult in writing on religion and political change in Benin (PhD thesis 2008), this paper seeks to clarify some of the epistemological, academic and historical reasons that have formed...

  10. Autopsy of the Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milisavljevic, Dan; Fesen, Robert A.

    2014-01-01

    Three-dimensional kinematic reconstructions of optically emitting ejecta in the young Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) are discussed. The reconstructions encompass the remnant's faint outlying ejecta knots, including the exceptionally high-velocity NE and SW streams of debris often referred to as `jets'. The bulk of Cas A's ejecta are arranged in several circular rings with diameters between approximately 30'' (0.5 pc) and 2' (2 pc). We suggest that similar large-scale ejecta rings may be a common phenomenon of young core-collapse remnants and may explain lumpy emission line profile substructure sometimes observed in spectra of extragalactic core-collapse supernovae years after explosion. A likely origin for these large ejecta rings is post-explosion input of energy from plumes of radioactive 56Ni-rich ejecta that rise, expand, and compress non-radioactive material to form bubble-like structures.

  11. Remnant trees affect species composition but not structure of tropical second-growth forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandor, Manette E; Chazdon, Robin L

    2014-01-01

    Remnant trees, spared from cutting when tropical forests are cleared for agriculture or grazing, act as nuclei of forest regeneration following field abandonment. Previous studies on remnant trees were primarily conducted in active pasture or old fields abandoned in the previous 2-3 years, and focused on structure and species richness of regenerating forest, but not species composition. Our study is among the first to investigate the effects of remnant trees on neighborhood forest structure, biodiversity, and species composition 20 years post-abandonment. We compared the woody vegetation around individual remnant trees to nearby plots without remnant trees in the same second-growth forests ("control plots"). Forest structure beneath remnant trees did not differ significantly from control plots. Species richness and species diversity were significantly higher around remnant trees. The species composition around remnant trees differed significantly from control plots and more closely resembled the species composition of nearby old-growth forest. The proportion of old-growth specialists and generalists around remnant trees was significantly greater than in control plots. Although previous studies show that remnant trees may initially accelerate secondary forest growth, we found no evidence that they locally affect stem density, basal area, and seedling density at later stages of regrowth. Remnant trees do, however, have a clear effect on the species diversity, composition, and ecological groups of the surrounding woody vegetation, even after 20 years of forest regeneration. To accelerate the return of diversity and old-growth forest species into regrowing forest on abandoned land, landowners should be encouraged to retain remnant trees in agricultural or pastoral fields.

  12. A Model of the Vela Supernova Remnant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, Vasilii

    2000-10-01

    A model of the Vela supernova remnant (SNR) based on a cavity explosion of a supernova (SN) star is proposed. It is suggested that the general structure of the remnant is determined by the interaction of the SN blast wave with a massive shell created by the SN progenitor (15-20 M_solar) star. A possible origin of the nebula of hard X-ray emission detected around the Vela pulsar is discussed.

  13. Naturally occurring mutations in large surface genes related to occult infection of hepatitis B virus genotype C.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Kim

    Full Text Available Molecular mechanisms related to occult hepatitis B virus (HBV infection, particularly those based on genotype C infection, have rarely been determined thus far in the ongoing efforts to determine infection mechanisms. Therefore, we aim to elucidate the mutation patterns in the surface open reading frame (S ORF underlying occult infections of HBV genotype C in the present study. Nested PCRs were applied to 624 HBV surface antigen (HBsAg negative Korean subjects. Cloning and sequencing of the S ORF gene was applied to 41 occult cases and 40 control chronic carriers. Forty-one (6.6% of the 624 Korean adults with HBsAg-negative serostatus were found to be positive for DNA according to nested PCR tests. Mutation frequencies in the three regions labeled here as preS1, preS2, and S were significantly higher in the occult subjects compared to the carriers in all cases. A total of two types of deletions, preS1 deletions in the start codon and preS2 deletions as well as nine types of point mutations were significantly implicated in the occult infection cases. Mutations within the "a" determinant region in HBsAg were found more frequently in the occult subjects than in the carriers. Mutations leading to premature termination of S ORF were found in 16 occult subjects (39.0% but only in one subject from among the carriers (2.5%. In conclusion, our data suggest that preS deletions, the premature termination of S ORF, and "a" determinant mutations are associated with occult infections of HBV genotype C among a HBsAg-negative population. The novel mutation patterns related to occult infection introduced in the present study can help to broaden our understanding of HBV occult infections.

  14. Black hole remnants and the information loss paradox

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, P.; Ong, Y.C.; Yeom, D.-H.

    2015-01-01

    Forty years after the discovery of Hawking radiation, its exact nature remains elusive. If Hawking radiation does not carry any information out from the ever shrinking black hole, it seems that unitarity is violated once the black hole completely evaporates. On the other hand, attempts to recover information via quantum entanglement lead to the firewall controversy. Amid the confusions, the possibility that black hole evaporation stops with a “remnant” has remained unpopular and is often dismissed due to some “undesired properties” of such an object. Nevertheless, as in any scientific debate, the pros and cons of any proposal must be carefully scrutinized. We fill in the void of the literature by providing a timely review of various types of black hole remnants, and provide some new thoughts regarding the challenges that black hole remnants face in the context of the information loss paradox and its latest incarnation, namely the firewall controversy. The importance of understanding the role of curvature singularity is also emphasized, after all there remains a possibility that the singularity cannot be cured even by quantum gravity. In this context a black hole remnant conveniently serves as a cosmic censor. We conclude that a remnant remains a possible end state of Hawking evaporation, and if it contains large interior geometry, may help to ameliorate the information loss paradox and the firewall controversy. We hope that this will raise some interests in the community to investigate remnants more critically but also more thoroughly.

  15. Black hole remnants and the information loss paradox

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, P., E-mail: pisinchen@phys.ntu.edu.tw [Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, CA 94305 (United States); Ong, Y.C., E-mail: yenchin.ong@nordita.org [Nordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 23, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Yeom, D.-H., E-mail: innocent.yeom@gmail.com [Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

    2015-11-22

    Forty years after the discovery of Hawking radiation, its exact nature remains elusive. If Hawking radiation does not carry any information out from the ever shrinking black hole, it seems that unitarity is violated once the black hole completely evaporates. On the other hand, attempts to recover information via quantum entanglement lead to the firewall controversy. Amid the confusions, the possibility that black hole evaporation stops with a “remnant” has remained unpopular and is often dismissed due to some “undesired properties” of such an object. Nevertheless, as in any scientific debate, the pros and cons of any proposal must be carefully scrutinized. We fill in the void of the literature by providing a timely review of various types of black hole remnants, and provide some new thoughts regarding the challenges that black hole remnants face in the context of the information loss paradox and its latest incarnation, namely the firewall controversy. The importance of understanding the role of curvature singularity is also emphasized, after all there remains a possibility that the singularity cannot be cured even by quantum gravity. In this context a black hole remnant conveniently serves as a cosmic censor. We conclude that a remnant remains a possible end state of Hawking evaporation, and if it contains large interior geometry, may help to ameliorate the information loss paradox and the firewall controversy. We hope that this will raise some interests in the community to investigate remnants more critically but also more thoroughly.

  16. Cosmic Ray Acceleration in Supernova Remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'C Drury, Luke

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes some recent developments in our understanding of cosmic ray acceleration in supernova remnant shocks. It is pointed out that while good agreement now exists as to steady nonlinear modifications to the shock structure, there is also growing evidence that the mesoscopic scales may not in fact be steady and that significant instabilities associated with magnetic field amplification may be a feature of strong collisionless plasma shocks. There is strong observational evidence for such magnetic field amplification, and it appears to solve a number of long-standing issues concerned with acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants

  17. Heparin as a pharmacologic intervention to induce positive scintiscan in occult gastrointestinal bleeding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhuri, T.K.; Brantly, M.

    1984-01-01

    The value of using heparin as a pharmacologic intervention to induce a positive scintiscan was studied in a patient with chronic occult gastrointestinal bleeding. When all standard diagnostic tests (upper and lower gastrointestinal series, upper and lower endoscopy, and conventional noninterventional Tc-99m RBC imaging) fail to detect and localize gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient who has definite clinical evidence (guaiac positive stool and dropping hemoglobin, hematocrit) of chronic occult gastrointestinal oozing, heparin may be used (with proper precaution) as a last resort to aid in the scintigraphic detection and localization of chronic occult gastrointestinal bleeding

  18. Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in haemodialysis patients from central Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mina, Paraskevi; Georgiadou, Sarah P; Rizos, Christos; Dalekos, George N; Rigopoulou, Eirini I

    2010-01-01

    AIM: To assess the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA and the prevalence of occult HBV infection in end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients from Central Greece. METHODS: Sera from 366 ESRF patients attending five out of six dialysis units from Central Greece were investigated for HBV-DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Only serum samples with repeatedly detectable HBV-DNA were considered positive. IgG antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) were tested by a third generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) were tested by two commercially available ELISAs. RESULTS: HBV-DNA was detected in 15/366 patients (4.1%) and HBsAg in 20/366 (5.5%). The prevalence of occult HBV infection was 0.9% (3/346 HBsAg-negative patients). Occult HBV was not associated with a specific marker of HBV infection or anti-HCV or anti-HEV reactivity. There was no significant difference in HBV-DNA titres, demographic and biochemical features, between patients with occult HBV infection and those with HBsAg-positive chronic HBV infection. CONCLUSION: In central Greece, 4% of ESRF patients had detectable HBV-DNA, though in this setting, the prevalence of occult HBV seems to be very low (0.9%). PMID:20066742

  19. Supernova Remnants as the Sources of Galactic Cosmic Rays

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vink, J.

    2013-01-01

    The origin of cosmic rays holds still manymysteries hundred years after they were first discovered. Supernova remnants have for long been the most likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. I discuss here some recent evidence that suggests that supernova remnants can indeed efficiently accelerate

  20. Abscess of urachal remnants presenting with acute abdomen: a case series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tazi Fadl

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Urachal diseases are rare and may develop from a congenital anomaly in which a persistent or partial reopening of the fetal communication between the bladder and the umbilicus persists. The most frequently reported urachal anomalies in adults are infected urachal cyst and urachal carcinoma. The diagnosis of this entity is not always easy because of the rarity of these diseases and the atypical symptoms at presentation. Imaging techniques, such as ultrasonography and computed tomography have a significant role in recognizing the presence of urachus-derived lesions. Cases presentations Case presentation 1: A 25-year-old Arab-Berber man presented with a 10-day history of progressive lower abdominal pain accompanied by fever, vomiting, and low urinary tract symptoms to our emergency department. Laboratory data revealed leucocytosis. The diagnosis of an acute peritonitis was made initially. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic tract from the umbilicus to the abdominal wall, and the diagnosis was rectified (infected urachal remnants. The patient was initially treated with intravenous antibiotics in combination with a percutaneous drainage. Afterwards an extraperitoneal excision of the urachal remnant including a cuff of bladder was performed. The histological analysis did not reveal a tumor of the urachal remnant. Follow-up examinations a few months later showed no abnormality. Case presentation 2: A 35-year-old Arab-Berber man, without prior medical history with one week of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, associated with fever but without lower urinary tract symptoms visited our emergency department. Laboratory data revealed leucocytosis. Abdominal ultrasonography was not conclusive. Computed tomography of the abdomen was the key to the investigation and the diagnosis of an abscess of urachal remnants was made. The patient underwent the same choice of medical-surgical treatment as previously described for case

  1. First Ionospheric Results From the MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Withers, Paul; Felici, M.; Mendillo, M.; Moore, L.; Narvaez, C.; Vogt, M. F.; Jakosky, B. M.

    2018-05-01

    Radio occultation observations of the ionosphere of Mars can span the full vertical extent of the ionosphere, in contrast to in situ measurements that rarely sample the main region of the ionosphere. However, most existing radio occultation electron density profiles from Mars were acquired without clear context for the solar forcing or magnetospheric conditions, which presents challenges for the interpretation of these profiles. Here we present 48 ionospheric electron density profiles acquired by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission (MAVEN) Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE) from 5 July 2016 to 27 June 2017 at solar zenith angles of 54° to 101°. Latitude coverage is excellent, and comprehensive context for the interpretation of these profiles is provided by other MAVEN instruments. The profiles show a 9-km increase in ionospheric peak altitude in January 2017 that is associated with a lower atmospheric dust storm, variations in electron densities in the M1 layer that cannot be explained by variations in the solar soft X-ray flux, and topside electron densities that are larger in strongly magnetized regions than in weakly magnetized regions. MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment electron density profiles are publicly available on the NASA Planetary Data System.

  2. Occult hepatitis B virus among the patients with abnormal alanine transaminase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makvandi, Manoochehr; Neisi, Niloofar; Khalafkhany, Davod; Makvandi, Kamyar; Hajiani, Eskandar; Shayesteh, Ali Akbar; Masjedi Zadeh, Abdolrahim; Sina, Amir Hosein; Hamidifard, Mojtaba; Rasti, Mojtaba; Aryan, Ehsan; Ahmadi, Kambiz; Yad Yad, Mohammad Jafar

    2014-08-01

    The occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is defined as the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the sera or in the liver biopsy and the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by serological test. The current study aimed to evaluate the occult HBV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and determine HBV genotyping among the patients with abnormal alanine transaminase (ALT) in Ahvaz city, Iran. The sera of 120 patients, 54 (45%) females and 66 (55%) males, with abnormal ALT 40-152 IU were collected. All the patients were negative for HBsAg for more than one year. The patients` sera were tested by PCR using primers specified for the S region of HBV. Then the positive PCR products were sequenced to determine HBV genotyping and phylogenic tree. Of these 120 subjects, 12 (10%) patients including 6 (5%) males and 6 (5%) females were found positive for HBV DNA by PCR, which indicated the presence of occult HBV infection among these patients. The sequencing results revealed that genotype D was predominant with sub-genotyping D1 among OBI patients. Occult hepatitis B infection is remarkably prevalent in Ahvaz, Iran, and should be considered as a potential risk factor for the transmission of Hepatitis B Virus throughout the community by the carriers.

  3. Effect of Hashimoto thyroiditis on low-dose radioactive-iodine remnant ablation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Hyungju; Choi, June Young; Moon, Jae Hoon; Park, Hyo Jin; Lee, Won Woo; Lee, Kyu Eun

    2016-04-01

    Radioactive-iodine remnant ablation is an integral part of the papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) treatment. Although a minimum dose is usually recommended, there is controversy as to whether the low-dose (1100 MBq) radioactive-iodine remnant ablation is adequate for selected patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 691 patients. Patients with no remnant thyroid on the follow-up whole body scan and low stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) level (Hashimoto thyroiditis based on histopathology diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.23; p Hashimoto thyroiditis and elevated sTg are negative predictive factors for successful low-dose radioactive-iodine remnant ablation treatment. An appropriate risk-adjusted approach may improve the efficacy of radioactive-iodine remnant ablation treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E730-E735, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Evolution of supernova remnants. III. Thermal waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevalier, R.A.

    1975-01-01

    The effect of heat conduction on the evolution of supernova remnants is investigated. A thermal wave, or electron conduction front, can travel more rapidly than a shock wave during the first thousand years of the remnant's evolution. A self-similar solution describing this phase has been found by Barenblatt. Numerical computations verify the solution and give the evolution past the thermal wave phase. While shell formation is not impeded, the interior density and temperature profiles are smoothed by the action of conduction

  5. Influence of the Roof Movement Control Method on the Stability of Remnant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adach-Pawelus, Karolina

    2017-12-01

    In the underground mines, there are geological and mining situations that necessitate leaving behind remnants in the mining field. Remnants, in the form of small, irregular parcels, are usually separated in the case of: significant problems with maintaining roof stability, high rockburst hazard, the occurrence of complex geological conditions and for random reasons (ore remnants), as well as for economic reasons (undisturbed rock remnants). Remnants left in the mining field become sites of high stress values concentration and may affect the rock in their vicinity. The values of stress inside the remnant and its vicinity, as well as the stability of the remnant, largely depend on the roof movement control method used in the mining field. The article presents the results of the numerical analysis of the influence of roof movement control method on remnant stability and the geomechanical situation in the mining field. The numerical analysis was conducted for the geological and mining conditions characteristic of Polish underground copper mines owned by KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. Numerical simulations were performed in a plane strain state by means of Phase 2 v. 8.0 software, based on the finite element method. The behaviour of remnant and rock mass in its vicinity was simulated in the subsequent steps of the room and pillar mining system for three types of roof movement control method: roof deflection, dry backfill and hydraulic backfill. The parameters of the rock mass accepted for numerical modelling were calculated by means of RocLab software on the basis of the Hoek-Brown classification. The Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion was applied.

  6. Accreting Compact Object at the Center of the Supernova Remnant RCW 103.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanwal, D.; Garmire, G. P.; Garmire, A.; Pavlov, G. G.; Mignani, R.

    2002-05-01

    We observed the radio-quiet central compact object of the supernova remnant RCW 103 with the Chandra ACIS during 13.8 hours on 2002 March 3, when the source was in high state, with a time-averaged flux of 8*E-12 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 0.5--8.0 keV band. The complex light curve of the source shows a period of about 6.4 hours and two partial eclipses or dips per period, separated by 180o in phase. The variability of the source proves that it is powered by accretion, likely from a low-mass companion in a binary system. Deep near-IR observations of the source with VLT suggest a potential counterpart of the compact object about 2'' from the nominal Chandra position. The magnitudes of the potential counterpart are J ≈ 22.3, H ≈ 19.6, and Ks ≈ 18.5, with an uncertainty of about 0.5 mag. We will discuss possible interpretations of the observational results. This work was partially supported by NASA grants NAS8-01128 and NAG5-10865.

  7. Sensitivity of GPS occultation to the stratopause height

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schrøder, Thomas Morville; Ao, Chi; de la Torre Juárez, Manuel

    2007-01-01

    We scrutinize temperature profiles collected with radio occultation measurement for an imprint of the stratopause. In the retrieval step that integrates bending angle data to atmospheric refractivity, the falloff toward infinite altitude is constrained in a boundary condition with statistical opt...... rate, not isothermal conditions. Keeping the model seed for temperature conversion to subsequent retrieval steps eliminates external information from the deconvolved refractivity. It will help argue for radio occultation as independent vehicle for climate monitoring....... height gradient. On the basis of noise free simulation using a climatology covering all latitudes, seasons, and hours and on the basis of validation against data collected with weather balloons, laser imaging, and limb sounding, we find that adaptation to the fluctuating stratopause is crucial...

  8. Lunar occultation observation of μ Sgr: A progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jatmiko, A. T. P. [Bosscha Observatory, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Puannandra, G. P.; Hapsari, R. D.; Putri, R. A.; Arifin, Z. M.; Haans, G. K.; Hadiputrawan, I. P. W. [Bosscha Observatory, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia and Astronomy Study Program, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia)

    2014-03-24

    Lunar Occultation (LO) is an event where limb of the Moon passing over a particular heavenly bodies such as stars, asteroids, or planets. In other words, during the event, stars, asteroids and planets are occulted by the Moon. When occulted objects contact the lunar limb, there will be a diffraction fringe(s) which can be measured photometrically, until the signal vanishes into noise. This event will give us a valuable information about binarities (of stars) and/or angular diameters estimation (of stars, planets, asteroids) in milliarcsecond resolution, by fitting with theoretical LO pattern. CCDs are common for LO observation because of its fast read out, and recently are developed for sub-meter class telescope. In this paper, our LO observation attempt of μ Sgr and its progress report are presented. The observation was conducted on July 30{sup th}, 2012 at Bosscha Observatory, Indonesia, using 45cm f/12 GOTO telescope combined with ST-9 XE CCD camera and Bessel B filter. We used drift-scan method to obtain light curve of the star as it was disappearing behind Moon's dark limb. Our goal is to detect binarity (or multiplicity) of this particular object.

  9. Occult pneumothorax in trauma patients: should this be sought in the focused assessment with sonography for trauma examination?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Michael M K

    2005-01-01

    At present, CT scan is the gold standard for detecting occult traumatic pneumothorax not apparent on supine chest X-ray radiograph. Recently there were suggestions to expand focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) to include thoracic ultrasound for detecting pneumothorax. The aim of the present study is to determine the incidence of occult pneumothorax (as shown by CT) in the subgroup of trauma patients undergoing FAST. Review of all trauma patients with FAST done from 1 June 2001 to 31 October 2002. Incidence of occult pneumothorax as diagnosed by CT was determined. Patients were not counted as having true occult pneumothorax if they had chest drains inserted before arrival or imaging studies. Selected clinical findings were tested for association with occult pneumothorax. In total, 143 patients underwent FAST, of whom 137 (95.8%) had chest X-ray examination performed. Of the 137 patients 59 required CT abdomen and/or thorax. Occult pneumothorax was found in three patients (2.1%). A history of thorax and/or abdominal injury plus one or more of: (i) mechanisms potentially causing major trauma; (ii) abnormal chest examination; and (iii) chest X-ray radiograph abnormality in the absence of pneumothorax, was significantly associated with the presence of occult pneumothorax (P = 0.03, Fisher's exact test; sensitivity: 100%; specificity: 71%; likelihood ratio: 3.42). The incidence of occult pneumothorax in the subgroup of trauma patients undergoing FAST is low. It implies that routine screening for its presence by adding thoracic ultrasound to FAST is unnecessary. Identifying those at risk of occult pneumothorax for further investigation appeared feasible.

  10. Supernova remnant S147 and its associated neutron star(s)

    OpenAIRE

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    2005-01-01

    The supernova remnant S147 harbors the pulsar PSR J0538+2817 whose characteristic age is more than an order of magnitude greater than the kinematic age of the system (inferred from the angular offset of the pulsar from the geometric center of the supernova remnant and the pulsar proper motion). To reconcile this discrepancy we propose that PSR J0538+2817 could be the stellar remnant of the first supernova explosion in a massive binary system and therefore could be as old as its characteristic...

  11. Amplification and protein overexpression of cyclin D1: Predictor of occult nodal metastasis in early oral cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noorlag, Rob; Boeve, Koos; Witjes, Max J H; Koole, Ronald; Peeters, Ton L M; Schuuring, Ed; Willems, Stefan M; van Es, Robert J J

    2017-02-01

    Accurate nodal staging is pivotal for treatment planning in early (stage I-II) oral cancer. Unfortunately, current imaging modalities lack sensitivity to detect occult nodal metastases. Chromosomal region 11q13, including genes CCND1, Fas-associated death domain (FADD), and CTTN, is often amplified in oral cancer with nodal metastases. However, evidence in predicting occult nodal metastases is limited. In 158 patients with early tongue and floor of mouth (FOM) squamous cell carcinomas, both CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1, FADD, and cortactin protein expression were correlated with occult nodal metastases. CCND1 amplification and cyclin D1 expression correlated with occult nodal metastases. Cyclin D1 expression was validated in an independent multicenter cohort, confirming the correlation with occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers. Cyclin D1 is a predictive biomarker for occult nodal metastases in early FOM cancers. Prospective research on biopsy material should confirm these results before implementing its use in routine clinical practice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 326-333, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The value of MR imaging of PDFASAT sequence in the diagnosis of extremities occult fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Lingquan; Xu Mingshen; Wu Qianzhi; Mao Chunnan; Wang Shuzi; Zhou Xingfan; Wang Liping

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the value of MR imaging of proton density weighted-fat saturated (PDFASAT) sequence in detecting the occult fracture of extremities. Methods: Thirty-one patients with acute trauma were studied using radiography and MR imaging within 45 days. MR sequences included FSE T 1 WI, T 2 WI, and PDFASAT. 21 occult fractures occurred in the knee joint, 6 in the hip joint, 1 in the elbow joint, 2 in the shoulder, and 1 in the ankle. Results: All 31 cases had normal radiographic results. 10 cases with proximal fibula, 4 with proximal tibia and 7 with femur condyle occult fractures were found in 21 knee joint acute trauma cases. 2 cases with intertrochanteric, 2 with femoral neck and 2 with cotyle occult fractures were found in 6 hip joint trauma cases. 2 proximal humerus occult fractures were found in 2 shoulder cases. 1 distal humerus and 1 distal fibula occult fracture was found in elbow and ankle cases. MR imaging demonstrated irregular linear low signal in the subcortical region on both T 1 WI and T 2 WI, and high signal changes around low signal were seen on T 2 WI in some cases. The high signal in PDFASAT sequence was more remarkable and wider than that on both T 1 WI and T 2 WI. Conclusion: MR imaging could determine the diagnosis of acute and chronic occult fractures. MRI should be the next choice when plain films fail to reveal suspected fractures in setting of suggestive symptoms and positive physical examination. PDFASAT would be the best effective sequence among the T 1 WI, T 2 WI, and PDFASAT. (author)

  13. Occult Pelvic Lymph Node Involvement in Bladder Cancer: Implications for Definitive Radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goldsmith, Benjamin; Baumann, Brian C.; He, Jiwei; Tucker, Kai; Bekelman, Justin; Deville, Curtiland; Vapiwala, Neha [Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Vaughn, David; Keefe, Stephen M. [Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Guzzo, Thomas; Malkowicz, S. Bruce [Department of Urology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Christodouleas, John P., E-mail: christojo@uphs.upenn.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States)

    2014-03-01

    Purpose: To inform radiation treatment planning for clinically staged, node-negative bladder cancer patients by identifying clinical factors associated with the presence and location of occult pathologic pelvic lymph nodes. Methods and Materials: The records of patients with clinically staged T1-T4N0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder undergoing radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy at a single institution were reviewed. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between preoperative clinical variables and occult pathologic pelvic or common iliac lymph nodes. Percentages of patient with involved lymph node regions entirely encompassed within whole bladder (perivesicular nodal region), small pelvic (perivesicular, obturator, internal iliac, and external iliac nodal regions), and extended pelvic clinical target volume (CTV) (small pelvic CTV plus common iliac regions) were calculated. Results: Among 315 eligible patients, 81 (26%) were found to have involved pelvic lymph nodes at the time of surgery, with 38 (12%) having involved common iliac lymph nodes. Risk of occult pathologically involved lymph nodes did not vary with clinical T stage. On multivariate analysis, the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on preoperative biopsy was significantly associated with occult pelvic nodal involvement (odds ratio 3.740, 95% confidence interval 1.865-7.499, P<.001) and marginally associated with occult common iliac nodal involvement (odds ratio 2.307, 95% confidence interval 0.978-5.441, P=.056). The percentages of patients with involved lymph node regions entirely encompassed by whole bladder, small pelvic, and extended pelvic CTVs varied with clinical risk factors, ranging from 85.4%, 95.1%, and 100% in non-muscle-invasive patients to 44.7%, 71.1%, and 94.8% in patients with muscle-invasive disease and biopsy LVI. Conclusions: Occult pelvic lymph node rates are substantial for all clinical subgroups, especially patients with LVI on biopsy. Extended

  14. Occult Hepatitis B Virus Among the Patients With Abnormal Alanine Transaminase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makvandi, Manoochehr; Neisi, Niloofar; Khalafkhany, Davod; Makvandi, Kamyar; Hajiani, Eskandar; Shayesteh, Ali Akbar; Masjedi Zadeh, Abdolrahim; Sina, Amir Hosein; Hamidifard, Mojtaba; Rasti, Mojtaba; Aryan, Ehsan; Ahmadi, Kambiz; Yad Yad, Mohammad Jafar

    2014-01-01

    Background: The occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is defined as the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the sera or in the liver biopsy and the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by serological test. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the occult HBV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and determine HBV genotyping among the patients with abnormal alanine transaminase (ALT) in Ahvaz city, Iran. Patients and Methods: The sera of 120 patients, 54 (45%) females and 66 (55%) males, with abnormal ALT 40-152 IU were collected. All the patients were negative for HBsAg for more than one year. The patients` sera were tested by PCR using primers specified for the S region of HBV. Then the positive PCR products were sequenced to determine HBV genotyping and phylogenic tree. Results: Of these 120 subjects, 12 (10%) patients including 6 (5%) males and 6 (5%) females were found positive for HBV DNA by PCR, which indicated the presence of occult HBV infection among these patients. The sequencing results revealed that genotype D was predominant with sub-genotyping D1 among OBI patients. Conclusions: Occult hepatitis B infection is remarkably prevalent in Ahvaz, Iran, and should be considered as a potential risk factor for the transmission of Hepatitis B Virus throughout the community by the carriers. PMID:25485052

  15. Outcome of Concurrent Occult Hemothorax and Pneumothorax in Trauma Patients Who Required Assisted Ventilation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Mahmood

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The management and outcomes of occult hemopneumothorax in blunt trauma patients who required mechanical ventilation are not well studied. We aimed to study patients with occult hemopneumothorax on mechanical ventilation who could be carefully managed without tube thoracostomy. Methods. Chest trauma patients with occult hemopneumothorax who were on mechanical ventilation were prospectively evaluated. The presence of hemopneumothorax was confirmed by CT scanning. Hospital length of stay, complications, and outcome were recorded. Results. A total of 56 chest trauma patients with occult hemopneumothorax who were on ventilatory support were included with a mean age of 36 ± 13 years. Hemopneumothorax was managed conservatively in 72% cases and 28% underwent tube thoracostomy as indicated. 29% of patients developed pneumonia, 16% had Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS, and 7% died. Thickness of hemothorax, duration of mechanical ventilation, and development of ARDS were significantly associated with tube thoracostomy in comparison to no-chest tube group. Conclusions. The majority of occult hemopneumothorax can be carefully managed without tube thoracostomy in patients who required positive pressure ventilation. Tube thoracotomy could be restricted to those who had evidence of increase in the size of the hemothorax or pneumothorax on follow-up chest radiographs or developed respiratory compromise.

  16. Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants--report of 17 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begovic, Ninoslav; Simic, Radoje; Vlahovic, Aleksandar; Kravljanac, Djordje; Djuricic, Slavisa; Mijovic, Tanja

    2014-11-01

    Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are congenital, benign and rare neck masses. These anomalies are limited in the literature, reported mostly as case reports. Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnant is always present at birth, and the lesion is usually unilateral. Understanding and treatment of cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants requires knowledge of the related embryology. From January 2005 to December 2008, 17 patients with mean age of 32 months (range from 2 months to 15 years) with CCBRs were treated at the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Burns at the Institute for Mother and Child Health Care, Belgrade, Serbia. The following objections were recorded: sex, lesion side, surgical data, associated malformations and pathohistology findings. There were 7 females and 10 males, 4 with bilateral presences. Five children had associated anomalies, as follows: vesicoureteral reflux, atrial and ventricular septal defect, ventricular septal defect, branchiootorenal syndrome and preauricular sinus. There was a positive family history in one patient. Fifteen patients (88%) were treated with complete surgical excision and no connections with deep underlying structures of the neck were found. There were no complications at surgery. No recurrence was found during follow-up. Histopathology analysis revealed both, hyaline and elastic cartilage. Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare anomalies arising from branchial arch, probably originally from remnants of first or second arch. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. From our experience, we suggest surgical treatment early in childhood because of esthetic reason, simplicity of the intervention and low complication rate. Also, the abdominal ultrasound and cardiac examination is recommended because of associated anomalies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Importance of riparian remnants for frog species diversity in a highly fragmented rainforest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Mendoza, Clara; Pineda, Eduardo

    2010-12-23

    Tropical forests undergo continuous transformation to other land uses, resulting in landscapes typified by forest fragments surrounded by anthropogenic habitats. Small forest fragments, specifically strip-shaped remnants flanking streams (referred to as riparian remnants), can be particularly important for the maintenance and conservation of biodiversity within highly fragmented forests. We compared frog species diversity between riparian remnants, other forest fragments and cattle pastures in a tropical landscape in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. We found similar species richness in the three habitats studied and a similar assemblage structure between riparian remnants and forest fragments, although species composition differed by 50 per cent. Frog abundance was halved in riparian remnants compared with forest fragments, but was twice that found in pastures. Our results suggest that riparian remnants play an important role in maintaining a portion of frog species diversity in a highly fragmented forest, particularly during environmentally stressful (hot and dry) periods. In this regard, however, the role of riparian remnants is complementary, rather than substitutive, with respect to the function of other forest fragments within the fragmented forest.

  18. Histopathological Parameters predicting Occult Nodal Metastases in Tongue Carcinoma Cases: An Indian Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Tina Elizabeth; Malathi, N; Rajan, Sharada T; Augustine, Dominic; Manish, N; Patil, Shankargouda

    2016-01-01

    It is a well-established fact that in squamous cell carcinoma cases, the presence of lymph node metastases decreased the 5-year survival rate by 50% and also caused the recurrence of the primary tumor with development of distant metastases. Till date, the predictive factors for occult cervical lymph nodes metastases in cases of tongue squamous cell carcinoma remain inconclusive. Therefore, it is imperative to identify patients who are at the greatest risk for occult cervical metastases. This study was thus performed with the aim to identify various histopathologic parameters of the primary tumor that predict occult nodal metastases. The clinicopathologic features of 56 cases of lateral tongue squamous cell carcinoma with cT1NoMo/cT2NoMo as the stage and without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy were considered. The surgical excision of primary tumor was followed by elective neck dissection. The glossectomy specimen along with the neck nodes were fixed in formalin and 5 urn thick sections were obtained. The hematoxylin & eosin stained sections were then subjected to microscopic examination. The primary tumor characteristics that were analyzed include tumor grade, invading front, depth of tumor, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion and inflammatory response. The nodes were examined for possible metastases using hematoxylin & eosin followed by cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. A total of 12 cases were found with positive occult nodal metastases. On performing univariate analysis, the histopathologic parameters that were found to be statistically significant were lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.004) and perineural invasion (p = 0.003) along with a cut-off depth of infiltration more than 5 mm (p = 0.01). Histopathologic assessment of the primary tumor specimen therefore continues to provide information that is central to guide clinical management, particularly in cases of occult nodal metastases. Clinical significance The study highlights the importance of

  19. Treatment for occult hepatocellular carcinoma: does it offer survival advantages over symptom-driven treatment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwang Min; Kim, Jiyu; Sinn, Dong Hyun; Kim, Hye Seung; Kim, Kyunga; Kang, Wonseok; Gwak, Geum-Youn; Paik, Yong-Han; Choi, Moon Seok; Lee, Joon Hyeok; Koh, Kwang Cheol; Paik, Seung Woon

    2018-04-03

    In order to claim a benefit of screen-based diagnosis for asymptomatic individuals, treatment of occult disease needs to offer survival advantages compared to the treatment of symptomatic disease, yet information on this issue is scarce with regard to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening. A total of 3353 treatment-naïve, consecutive, newly diagnosed HCC patients [age: 57.9 ± 10.3, male: 2,689 (80.2%), hepatitis B virus: 2555 (76.2%)], diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 were analyzed. Data on the mode of detection was prospectively collected at the time of HCC diagnosis and was used to group patients into occult or symptomatic cases. Overall, 643 (19.2%) patients were symptomatic cases. The proportion of patients undergoing resection, radiofrequency ablation or transplantation were lower in symptomatic cases than occult cases (20.8 vs. 56.2%, p offered a survival benefit to patients over symptomatic cases. These data support screening practices for asymptomatic individuals to diagnose occult HCC.

  20. Radio evolution of young supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirkey, R.C. Jr.

    1976-01-01

    A one dimensional spherically symmetric magnetohydrodynamic code was developed to describe the evolution of the dynamical and radio properties of young supernova remnants. The code contains subroutines which treat the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities wherever they arise in the remnant. Under the assumption of quasi-stationary equilibrium (dynamical changes considered slow in comparison to the time it takes the instability to achieve equilibrium) determined that the velocity of the instability is W approximately (a lambda)/sup 1 / 2 /, where a is the Rayleigh-Taylor acceleration and lambda is the wavelength of the instability. Subsequent processing of the kinetic energy of expansion, through turbulence, resulted in an increase in temperature and magnetic field strength. The model was used to analyze instability effects of density inhomogeneities in the interstellar medium on magnetic field amplification. A model was constructed for Cassiopeia A which gave good agreement with the measured dynamics, radio structure, and secular flux density decrease for the remnant. In order to compare observation with theory a computer routine was written that convolves the surface brightness at the source. The resultant convolved surface brightness graph is in good agreement with Rosenberg's observed ''model profile;'' differences between the graphs can be attributed to the asymmetric expansion of Cassiopeia A

  1. Predictive factors of occult neck metastasis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Fortes Bittar

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: It is well established that cervical lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. The definition of parameters and classifications that could separate patients in groups of low, intermediate and high-risk is being attempted for several years. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine possible predictive factors related to the occurrence of occult cervical lymph node metastasis through the analysis of histopathological reports of surgical specimens obtained after oral squamous cell carcinoma resection and selective neck dissections of patients initially classified as N0. METHODS: This was a primary, retrospective, observational, case-control study. Histopathological reports were reviewed to determine if some findings were related to the occurrence of occult lymph node metastasis. The events analyzed were oral cavity subsites, pT-stage, muscular infiltration, desmoplasia, vascular emboli, perineural infiltration, tumor thickness and compromised margins. RESULTS: Occult cervical metastasis accounted for 19.10 percent of the cases. Desmoplasia, perineural infiltration, tumor thickness and pT4a stage are predictive factors of occult neck metastasis (p-value = 0.0488, 0.0326, 0.0395, 0.0488, respectively. CONCLUSION: The accurate definition of predictive factors of occult cervical metastasis may guide the selection of patients that should be referred to radiotherapy, avoiding the unnecessary exposure of low-risk patients to radiation and allowing a better regional control of the disease in those of moderate or high risk.

  2. Cassini UVIS solar occultations by Saturn's F ring and the detection of collision-produced micron-sized dust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Tracy M.; Colwell, Joshua E.; Esposito, Larry W.; Attree, Nicholas O.; Murray, Carl D.

    2018-05-01

    We present an analysis of eleven solar occultations by Saturn's F ring observed by the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) on the Cassini spacecraft. In four of the solar occultations we detect an unambiguous signal from diffracted sunlight that adds to the direct solar signal just before or after the occultations occur. The strongest detection was a 10% increase over the direct signal that was enabled by the accidental misalignment of the instrument's pointing. We compare the UVIS data with images of the F ring obtained by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) and find that in each instance of an unambiguous diffraction signature in the UVIS data, the ISS data shows that there was a recent disturbance in that region of the F ring. Similarly, the ISS images show a quiescent region of the F ring for all solar occultations in which no diffraction signature was detected. We therefore conclude that collisions in the F ring produce a population of small ring particles that can produce a detectable diffraction signal immediately interior or exterior to the F ring. The clearest example of this connection comes from the strong detection of diffracted light in the 2007 solar occultation, when the portion of the F ring that occulted the Sun had suffered a large collisional event, likely with S/2004 S 6, several months prior. This collision was observed in a series of ISS images (Murray et al., 2008). Our spectral analysis of the data shows no significant spectral features in the F ring, indicating that the particles must be at least 0.2 μm in radius. We apply a forward model of the solar occultations, accounting for the effects of diffracted light and the attenuated direct solar signal, to model the observed solar occultation light curves. These models constrain the optical depth, radial width, and particle size distribution of the F ring. We find that when the diffraction signature is present, we can best reproduce the occultation data using a particle population

  3. Atmospheric stability index using radio occultation refractivity profiles

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    A new stability index based on atmospheric refractivity at ∼500 hPa level and surface measurements of temperature ... able at different heights rather than pressure levels. However ..... the radio occultation technique being a limb sound-.

  4. Prediction of occult hepatitis B virus infection in liver transplant donors through hepatitis B virus blood markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tandoi, Francesco; Caviglia, Gian Paolo; Pittaluga, Fabrizia; Abate, Maria Lorena; Smedile, Antonina; Romagnoli, Renato; Salizzoni, Mauro

    2014-11-01

    Occult hepatitis B virus infection is defined as detectable HBV-DNA in liver of HBsAg-negative individuals, with or without detectable serum HBV-DNA. In deceased liver donors, results of tissue analysis cannot be obtained prior to allocation for liver transplantation. we investigated prevalence and predictability of occult hepatitis B using blood markers of viral exposure/infection in deceased liver donors. In 50 consecutive HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive and 20 age-matched HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-negative donors, a nested-PCR assay was employed in liver biopsies for diagnosis of occult hepatitis B according to Taormina criteria. All donors were characterized for plasma HBV-DNA and serum anti-HBs/anti-HBe. In liver tissue, occult hepatitis B was present in 30/50 anti-HBc-positive (60%) and in 0/20 anti-HBc-negative donors (pdonors with detectable HBV-DNA in plasma (n=5) or anti-HBs>1,000 mIU/mL (n=5) eventually showed occult infection, i.e, 10/30 occult hepatitis B-positive donors which could have been identified prior to transplantation. In the remaining 40 anti-HBc-positive donors, probability of occult infection was 62% for anti-HBe-positive and/or anti-HBs ≥ 58 mIU/mL; 29% for anti-HBe-negative and anti-HBsdonors, combining anti-HBc with other blood markers of hepatitis B exposure/infection allows to predict occult hepatitis B with certainty and speed in one third of cases. These findings might help refine the allocation of livers from anti-HBc-positive donors. Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. [Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection and its phylogenetic features among mother-teenager pairs].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Xiao-lian; Yao, Qing-qing; Wang, Xue-cai; Xu, Hai-tao; Wang, Xiao-li; Chen, Sheng-yu; Tang, Zhi-feng; Zheng, Ying-Jie

    2013-03-01

    Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) was investigated in a paired mother-teenager population and HBV S gene variation including overt and occult HBV, was determined. A follow-up study based on an initial survey of 135 mother-teenager pairs was carried out through collection of questionnaires and blood samples HBsAg were detected by ELISA method, viral load by PCR amplification and HBV S gene by phylogenetic analysis. 102 pairs of subjects were followed-up. Blood samples from 94 mothers and 101 children were collected. OBI prevalence in mothers was 10.0% (6/60), significantly higher than 2.0% (2/101) in teenagers. Medians of viral load were 399.9 IU/ml and 247.6 IU/ml in overt and occult HBV strains, but without significant difference. 1 occult HBV strain belonged to genotype B with serotype adw while the other 7 were genotype C with serotype adr. 15 of the overt HBV strains belonged to genotype B with serotype adw and the other 8 were genotype C with serotype adr. Proportions of genotype-C strains were significantly higher in occult HBV strains than in overt HBV strains. OBI was seen in teenage-mother population.

  6. Current management of occult bacteremia in infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Mekitarian Filho

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To summarize the main clinical entities associated with fever without source (FWS in infants, as well as the clinical management of children with occult bacteremia, emphasizing laboratory tests and empirical antibiotics. Sources: A non-systematic review was conducted in the following databases – PubMed, EMBASE, and SciELO, between 2006 and 2015. Summary of the findings: The prevalence of occult bacteremia has been decreasing dramatically in the past few years, due to conjugated vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. Additionally, fewer requests for complete blood count and blood cultures have been made for children older than 3 months presenting with FWS. Urinary tract infection is the most prevalent bacterial infection in children with FWS. Some known algorithms, such as Boston and Rochester, can guide the initial risk stratification for occult bacteremia in febrile infants younger than 3 months. Conclusions: There is no single algorithm to estimate the risk of occult bacteremia in febrile infants, but pediatricians should strongly consider outpatient management in fully vaccinated infants older than 3 months with FWS and good general status. Updated data about the incidence of occult bacteremia in this environment after conjugated vaccination are needed. Resumo: Objetivos: Listar as principais entidades clínicas associadas a quadros de febre sem sinais localizatórios (FSSL em lactentes, bem como o manejo dos casos de bacteremia oculta com ênfase na avaliação laboratorial e na antibioticoterapia empírica. Fonte dos dados: Foi realizada revisão não sistemática da literatura nas bases de dados PubMed, EMBASE e Scielo no período de 2006 a 2015. Síntese dos dados: A ocorrência de bacteremia oculta vem diminuindo sensivelmente em lactentes com FSSL, principalmente devido à introdução da vacinação conjugada contra Streptococcus pneumoniae e Neisseria meningitidis nos últimos anos

  7. [Results of conservative treatment in patients with occult pneumothorax].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llaquet Bayo, Heura; Montmany Vioque, Sandra; Rebasa, Pere; Navarro Soto, Salvador

    2016-04-01

    An occult pneumothorax is found in 2-15% trauma patients. Observation (without tube thoracostomy) in these patients presents still some controversies in the clinical practice. The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and the adverse effects when observation is performed. A retrospective observational study was undertaken in our center (university hospital level II). Data was obtained from a database with prospective registration. A total of 1087 trauma patients admitted in the intensive care unit from 2006 to 2013 were included. In this period, 126 patients with occult pneumothorax were identified, 73 patients (58%) underwent immediate tube thoracostomy and 53 patients (42%) were observed. Nine patients (12%) failed observation and required tube thoracostomy for pneumothorax progression or hemothorax. No patient developed a tension pneumothorax or experienced another adverse event related to the absence of tube thoracostomy. Of the observed patients 16 were under positive pressure ventilation, in this group 3 patients (19%) failed observation. There were no differences in mortality, hospital length of stay or intensive care length of stay between the observed and non-observed group. Observation is a safe treatment in occult pneumothorax, even in pressure positive ventilated patients. Copyright © 2014 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Remnant for all black objects due to gravity's rainbow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ali, Ahmed Farag, E-mail: afarag@zewailcity.edu.eg [Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306 (United States); Center for Fundamental Physics, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza 12588 (Egypt); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha 13518 (Egypt); Faizal, Mir, E-mail: f2mir@uwaterloo.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 (Canada); Khalil, Mohammed M., E-mail: moh.m.khalil@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria 12544 (Egypt)

    2015-05-15

    We argue that a remnant is formed for all black objects in gravity's rainbow. This will be based on the observation that a remnant depends critically on the structure of the rainbow functions, and this dependence is a model independent phenomena. We thus propose general relations for the modified temperature and entropy of all black objects in gravity's rainbow. We explicitly check this to be the case for Kerr, Kerr–Newman-dS, charged-AdS, and higher dimensional Kerr–AdS black holes. We also try to argue that a remnant should form for black saturn in gravity's rainbow. This work extends our previous results on remnants of Schwarzschild black holes and black rings.

  9. Occult injuries of the femoral neck in osteoporosis of aged patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reichelt, H.G.

    1985-01-01

    Fractures of the femoral neck in elderly patients are often a complication in osteoporosis. Diagnosis of fractures with displacement and compression of fragments is quite easy. The negative radiograph in old patients complaining of hip pain is generally considered a characteristic feature of presensile osteoporotic pain. Clinical examples present patients with hip pain caused by occult injuries of the femoral neck. They should be regarded as imminent fractures and adequately treated. Bone scan is very helpful in the early detection of such occult osteroporotic injuries. (orig.) [de

  10. HI Absorption in Merger Remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teng, Stacy H.; Veileux, Sylvain; Baker, Andrew J.

    2012-01-01

    It has been proposed that ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) pass through a luminous starburst phase, followed by a dust-enshrouded AGN phase, and finally evolve into optically bright "naked" quasars once they shed their gas/dust reservoirs through powerful wind events. We present the results of our recent 21- cm HI survey of 21 merger remnants with the Green Bank Telescope. These remnants were selected from the QUEST (Quasar/ULIRG Evolution Study) sample of ULIRGs and PG quasars; our targets are all bolometrically dominated by AGN and sample all phases of the proposed ULIRG -> IR-excess quasar -> optical quasar sequence. We explore whether there is an evolutionary connection between ULIRGs and quasars by looking for the occurrence of HI absorption tracing neutral gas outflows; our results will allow us to identify where along the sequence the majority of a merger's gas reservoir is expelled.

  11. X-ray surface brightness of Kepler's supernova remnant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.L.; Long, K.S.

    1983-01-01

    We have observed Kepler's supernova remnant (SNR) with the imaging instruments on board the Einstein Observatory. The 0.15-4.5 keV flux incident on the Earth is 1.2 x 10 - 10 ergs cm - 2 s - 1 ; the flux corrected for interstellar absorption is 3.4 x 10 - 10 ergs cm - 2 s - 1 (L/sub x/ = 1.0 x 10 36 ergs s - 1 at D = 5 kpc) if the absorbing column density is N/sub H/ = 2.8 x 10 21 cm - 2 . The remnant is circular and shows a strong shell which is at least 5 times brighter in the north than in the south. The X-ray observations do not unambiguously determine whether the remnant is in the adiabatic or the free expansion phase. If the remnant is in the adiabatic phase, the density of the interstellar medium (ISM) ( 2 /sub e/>/sup 1/2/) surrounding Kepler's SNR must be about 5 cm - 3 . If the remnant is in the free expansion phase, where most of the emission arises from shock-heated ejecta, the ISM density must still be relatively high, n/sub i/> or approx. =0.1 cm - 3 . Even if the ISM is very inhomogeneous, with very many small, dense clouds, we show that the mean density of the ISM must be greater than approx.0.1 cm - 3 . In any case, the density of the x-ray emitting gas must be high ( 2 /sub e/>/sup 1/2/ > or approx. =10 cm - 3 ), and the temperature must be fairly low (T/sub e/ 7 K). The relatively high ISM density which is required is surprising in view of Kepler's distance above the galactic plane, approx.600 pc. Possibly the ISM around Kepler's SNR and around other type i SNRs is dominated by the mass lost from the presupernova star

  12. Remnants of Eoarchean continental crust derived from a subducted proto-arc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Rongfeng; Zhu, Wenbin; Wilde, Simon A; Wu, Hailin

    2018-02-01

    Eoarchean [3.6 to 4.0 billion years ago (Ga)] tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) is the major component of Earth's oldest remnant continental crust, thereby holding the key to understanding how continental crust originated and when plate tectonics started in the early Earth. TTGs are mostly generated by partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks at different depths, but whether this requires subduction remains enigmatic. Recent studies show that most Archean TTGs formed at relatively low pressures (≤1.5 GPa) and do not require subduction. We report a suite of newly discovered Eoarchean tonalitic gneisses dated at ~3.7 Ga from the Tarim Craton, northwestern China. These rocks are probably the oldest high-pressure TTGs so far documented worldwide. Thermodynamic and trace element modeling demonstrates that the parent magma may have been generated by water-fluxed partial melting of moderately enriched arc-like basalts at 1.8 to 1.9 GPa and 800° to 830°C, indicating an apparent geothermal gradient (400° to 450°C GPa -1 ) typical for hot subduction zones. They also locally record geochemical evidence for magma interaction with a mantle wedge. Accordingly, we propose that these high-pressure TTGs were generated by partial melting of a subducted proto-arc during arc accretion. Our model implies that modern-style plate tectonics was operative, at least locally, at ~3.7 Ga and was responsible for generating some of the oldest continental nuclei.

  13. Trio of Stellar Occultations by Pluto One Year Prior to New Horizons’ Arrival

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-04-02

    stellar signal, both with 20 s exposures with our frame-transfer Portable Occultation, Eclipse, and Transit System. Since Pluto had a geocentric velocity...and for New Horizons’s 2015 approach . For the July 31 event, though for our atmospheric studies we are glad to have detected the occultation of this

  14. A 2017 stellar occultation by Orcus/Vanth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sickafoose, Amanda A.; Bosh, Amanda S.; Levine, Stephen; Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Genade, Anja; Schindler, Karsten; Lister, Tim; Person, Michael J.

    2017-10-01

    (90482) Orcus is a large trans-Neptunian object (TNO) of diameter ~900 km, located in the 3:2 orbital resonance with Neptune. This plutino has a satellite, Vanth, approximately 280 km in diameter. Vanth orbits roughly 9000 km from Orcus in a ~9.5-day period. This system is particularly interesting, as Orcus falls between the small, spectrally-bland TNOs and the large TNOs having spectra rich in volatile features, while Vanth might have resulted from either collision or capture.A stellar occultation by Orcus was predicted to occur on 07 March 2017. Observations were made from five sites: the 0.6-m Astronomical Telescope of the University of Stuttgart (ATUS) at Sierra Remote Observatories (SRO), California; Las Cumbres Observatory’s 1-m telescope (ELP) at McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas; NASA’s 3-m InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii; the 4.1-m Southern Astrophysical Research telescope (SOAR) on Cerro Pachón, Chile; and the 0.6-m Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy telescope (SARA-CT) at Cerro Tololo, Chile. High-speed, visible-wavelength images were taken at all sites, in addition to simultaneous K-band images at the IRTF. A solid-body occultation was observed at both ELP and the IRTF. Offset midtimes and incompatible light ratios suggest that two different stars were occulted by two different bodies, likely Orcus and Vanth. See Bosh et al. this conference for details of the astrometry for the event. Here, we present results from the observations, including light curves, size and albedo estimates, and upper limits on a possible atmosphere.

  15. Multiple surface antigen mutations in five blood donors with occult hepatitis B virus infection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaaijer, H. L.; Torres, P.; Ontañón, A.; Ponte, L. González; Koppelman, M. H. G. M.; Lelie, P. N.; Hemert, F. J. van; Boot, H. J.

    2008-01-01

    Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by the presence of HBV DNA while the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) remains undetectable. The HBV genomes in five asymptomatic blood donors with occult HBV infection and low viremia ( <10 to 1,000 HBV DNA copies/mL, genotype D) were studied. An

  16. Photoreceptor atrophy in acute zonal occult outer retinopathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zibrandtsen, N.; Munch, I.C.; Klemp, K.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To assess retinal morphology in acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR). Methods: Three patients with a normal ophthalmoscopic fundus appearance, a history of photopsia, and visual field loss compatible with AZOOR were examined using optical coherence tomography, automated perimetry...

  17. Magnetic field orientations in Saturn's upper ionosphere inferred from Voyager radio occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, D. P.

    1984-01-01

    The radio scintillations observed during occultations of Voyagers 1 and 2 by Saturn are analyzed to determine the morphology of plasma irregularities and hence the magnetic field orientation in Saturn's upper atmosphere. The measurement techniques, the weak scattering theory, and the method used to relate the observed radio scintillations to physical properties of the ionospheric irregularities are briefly described. Results on the spatial characteristics of the irregularities are presented, and the magnetic field orientation in Saturn's ionosphere is inferred. Although the occultation measurements generally confirm the accuracy of the Saturnian magnetic field model of Connerney et al. (1982), it is found that a small adjustment of the coefficients in that model's zonal harmonic expansion would remove the discrepancy between the model predictions and the measurements. A strategy for obtaining improved measurements of Saturn's magnetic field from radio occultation observations of scintillations and Faraday rotation using an orbiting spacecraft is briefly discussed.

  18. Supernova remnants in the GC region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asvarov, Abdul

    2016-07-01

    Along with the central Black hole the processes of active star formation play very important role in the energetics of the Galactic center region. The SNe and their remnants (SNRs) are the main ingredients of the processes of star formation. SNRs are also the sources of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths from the optical to hard gamma rays. In the presented work we consider the physics of supernova remnants evolving in extreme environmental conditions which are typical for the region of the Galactic center. Because of the high density and strong inhomogeneity of the surrounding medium these objects remain practically invisible at almost all wavelengths. We model evolution of SNR taking into account the pressure of the surrounding medium and the gravitational field of the matter (stars, compact clouds, dark matter) inside the remnant. As it is well established, considerable portion of the kinetic energy of the SNR can be converted into the cosmic ray particles by diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. Therefore the effect of particle acceleration is also included in the model (with the effectiveness of acceleration as a free parameter). Using the observed radiation fluxes at different wavelengths we attempt to obtain limits on the parameters of the model of the Galactic Center, namely, the frequency of star birth, the average density of the matter and radiation field, etc.

  19. Theoretical performance of serrated external occulters for solar coronagraphy. Application to ASPIICS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rougeot, R.; Aime, C.

    2018-04-01

    Context. This study is made in the context of the future solar coronagraph ASPIICS of the ESA formation-flying mission Proba-3. Aims: In the context of solar coronagraphy, we provide a comparative study of the theoretical performance of serrated (or toothed) external occulters by varying the number and size of the teeth, which we compare to the sharp-edged and apodized disks. The tooth height is small (a few centimeters), to avoid hindering the observation of the solar corona near the limb. We first analyze the diffraction pattern produced by such occulters. In a second step, we compute the umbra profile by integration over the Sun. Methods: We explored a few methods to compute the diffraction pattern. Two of them were implemented. The first is based on 2D fast Fourier transformation (FFT) routines and a multiplication by the Fresnel filter of the form exp(-iπλzu2). Simple rules were derived and discussed to set the sampling conditions. The Maggi-Rubinowicz representation is then proposed as an alternative method, and is proven to be very efficient for this study. Results: Serrated occulters tend to create a two-level intensity pattern, the inner being the darker, which perfectly matches a previously reported geometrical prediction. The diffraction in this central region is lower by two to four orders of magnitude when compared to the sharp-edged disk. The achieved umbra level at the center ranges from 10-4 to below 10-7, depending on the geometry of the teeth. Conclusions: Our study shows that serrated occulters can achieve a high rejection and can almost reach the performance of the apodized disk when very many teeth are used. We prove that shaped occulters must be preferred to simple disks in solar and stellar coronagraphy.

  20. A blowout numerical model for the supernova remnant G352.7-0.1

    OpenAIRE

    Toledo Roy, J. C.; Velazquez, P. F.; Esquivel, A.; Giacani, Elsa Beatriz

    2017-01-01

    We present 3D hydrodynamical simulations of the Galactic supernova remnant G352.7−0.1. This remnant is peculiar for having a shell-like inner ring structure and an outer arc in radio observations. In our model, the supernova explosion producing the remnant occurs inside and near the border of a spherical cloud with a density higher than that of the surrounding interstellar medium. A blowout is produced when the remnant reaches the border of the cloud. We have then used the results of our hydr...

  1. Remnant Cholesterol Elicits Arterial Wall Inflammation and a Multilevel Cellular Immune Response in Humans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bernelot Moens, Sophie J.; Verweij, Simone L.; Schnitzler, Johan G.; Stiekema, Lotte C. A.; Bos, Merijn; Langsted, Anne; Kuijk, Carlijn; Bekkering, Siroon; Voermans, Carlijn; Verberne, Hein J.; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Stroes, Erik S. G.; Kroon, Jeffrey

    2017-01-01

    Mendelian randomization studies revealed a causal role for remnant cholesterol in cardiovascular disease. Remnant particles accumulate in the arterial wall, potentially propagating local and systemic inflammation. We evaluated the impact of remnant cholesterol on arterial wall inflammation,

  2. SUPERNOVA 1987A: A TEMPLATE TO LINK SUPERNOVAE TO THEIR REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orlando, S.; Miceli, M.; Pumo, M. L.; Bocchino, F., E-mail: orlando@astropa.inaf.it [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo “G.S. Vaiana”, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134 Palermo (Italy)

    2015-09-10

    The emission of supernova remnants (SNRs) reflects the properties of both the progenitor supernovae (SNe) and the surrounding environment. The complex morphology of the remnants, however, hampers the disentanglement of the two contributions. Here, we aim at identifying the imprint of SN 1987A on the X-ray emission of its remnant and at constraining the structure of the environment surrounding the SN. We performed high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations describing SN 1987A soon after the core-collapse and the following three-dimensional expansion of its remnant between days 1 and 15,000 after the SN. We demonstrated that the physical model reproducing the main observables of SN 1987A during the first 250 days of evolution also reproduces the X-ray emission of the subsequent expanding remnant, thus bridging the gap between SNe and SNRs. By comparing model results with observations, we constrained the explosion energy in the range 1.2–1.4 × 10{sup 51} erg and the envelope mass in the range 15–17 M{sub ⊙}. We found that the shape of X-ray lightcurves and spectra at early epochs (<15 years) reflects the structure of outer ejecta: our model reproduces the observations if the outermost ejecta have a post-explosion radial profile of density approximated by a power law with index α = −8. At later epochs, the shapes of X-ray lightcurves and spectra reflect the density structure of the nebula around SN 1987A. This enabled us to ascertain the origin of the multi-thermal X-ray emission, disentangle the imprint of the SN on the remnant emission from the effects of the remnant interaction with the environment, and constrain the pre-supernova structure of the nebula.

  3. Remnant Cholesterol Elicits Arterial Wall Inflammation and a Multilevel Cellular Immune Response in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernelot Moens, Sophie J; Verweij, Simone L; Schnitzler, Johan G; Stiekema, Lotte C A; Bos, Merijn; Langsted, Anne; Kuijk, Carlijn; Bekkering, Siroon; Voermans, Carlijn; Verberne, Hein J; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Stroes, Erik S G; Kroon, Jeffrey

    2017-05-01

    Mendelian randomization studies revealed a causal role for remnant cholesterol in cardiovascular disease. Remnant particles accumulate in the arterial wall, potentially propagating local and systemic inflammation. We evaluated the impact of remnant cholesterol on arterial wall inflammation, circulating monocytes, and bone marrow in patients with familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (FD). Arterial wall inflammation and bone marrow activity were measured using 18 F-FDG PET/CT. Monocyte phenotype was assessed with flow cytometry. The correlation between remnant levels and hematopoietic activity was validated in the CGPS (Copenhagen General Population Study). We found a 1.2-fold increase of 18 F-FDG uptake in the arterial wall in patients with FD (n=17, age 60±8 years, remnant cholesterol: 3.26 [2.07-5.71]) compared with controls (n=17, age 61±8 years, remnant cholesterol 0.29 [0.27-0.40]; P wall and cellular inflammation. These findings imply an important inflammatory component to the atherogenicity of remnant cholesterol, contributing to the increased cardiovascular disease risk in patients with FD. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  4. TITAN’S UPPER ATMOSPHERE FROM CASSINI/UVIS SOLAR OCCULTATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capalbo, Fernando J.; Bénilan, Yves [Laboratoire Inter-Universitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), UMR 7583 du CNRS, Universités Paris Est Créteil (UPEC) and Paris Diderot - UPD, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, F-94010, Créteil Cédex (France); Yelle, Roger V.; Koskinen, Tommi T., E-mail: fernando.capalbo@lisa.u-pec.fr [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Titan’s atmosphere is composed mainly of molecular nitrogen, methane being the principal trace gas. From the analysis of 8 solar occultations measured by the Extreme Ultraviolet channel of the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) on board Cassini, we derived vertical profiles of N{sub 2} in the range 1100–1600 km and vertical profiles of CH{sub 4} in the range 850–1300 km. The correction of instrument effects and observational effects applied to the data are described. We present CH{sub 4} mole fractions, and average temperatures for the upper atmosphere obtained from the N{sub 2} profiles. The occultations correspond to different times and locations, and an analysis of variability of density and temperature is presented. The temperatures were analyzed as a function of geographical and temporal variables, without finding a clear correlation with any of them, although a trend of decreasing temperature toward the north pole was observed. The globally averaged temperature obtained is (150 ± 1) K. We compared our results from solar occultations with those derived from other UVIS observations, as well as studies performed with other instruments. The observational data we present confirm the atmospheric variability previously observed, add new information to the global picture of Titan’s upper atmosphere composition, variability, and dynamics, and provide new constraints to photochemical models.

  5. UARS Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) Level 2 V001

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The HALOE home page on the WWW is http://haloe.gats-inc.com/home/index.php The Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) on NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite...

  6. Detection of an occult transclival cerebrospinal fluid fistula by CT and MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schick, B.; Brors, D.; Draf, W.; Goedecke, A.; Prescher, A.

    1998-01-01

    We describe an unusual occult transclival cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula to the sphenoid sinus demonstrated by MRI. CT was performed because of a posterior cerebral infarct caused by cardiac arrhythmia. Axial sections showed fluid in the sphenoid sinus. High-resolution scans revealed a bony defect 3 mm in diameter of the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus, and MRI showed a transclival CSF fistula. This occult lesion was confirmed by surgery and duraplasty was successfully performed via an endonasal approach. (orig.)

  7. Lunar occultation observations of the Crab Nebula

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maloney, F.P.

    1977-01-01

    Three lunar of occultations of the Crab Nebula were observed, two at 114 MHz and one at 26.3 MHz, during the 1974 series of events. The higher frequency observations were deconvolved of diffraction effects to yield four strip integrated brightness profiles of the Nebula, with an effective resolution of 30 arc-seconds. These four profiles were Fourier inverted and cleaned of sidelobe structure to synthesize a two-dimensional map of the Nebula. At 114 MHz, the Nebula is composed of a broad envelope of emission which contains several smaller sources. The attenuation of the low radio frequency radiation by the thermal hydrogen in the filaments is considered as a possible mechanism to explain these new data. The 26.3 MHz observations indicate the presence of a bright, localized source containing greater than 80% of the flux of the Nebula. The position of the source is confined by the data to a narrow strip centered at the pulsar position. Both sets of data are compared with past occultation observations

  8. High prevalence of occult left heart disease in scleroderma-pulmonary hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Benjamin D; Shimony, Avi; Langleben, David; Hirsch, Andrew; Rudski, Lawrence; Schlesinger, Robert; Eisenberg, Mark J; Joyal, Dominique; Hudson, Marie; Boutet, Kim; Serban, Alexandrina; Masetto, Ariel; Baron, Murray

    2013-10-01

    Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of occult left-heart disease in patients with scleroderma and pulmonary hypertension. In patients with pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure (mean PAP)≥25 mmHg), differentiation between pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension has been made according to pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) less than or more than 15 mmHg, respectively. We performed a retrospective chart review of 107 scleroderma patients. All patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension had routine right or left heart catheterisation with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) measurement pre-/post-fluid challenge. We extracted demographic, haemodynamic and echocardiographic data. Patients were classified into one of four groups: haemodynamically normal (mean PAP15 mmHg); occult PVH (mean PAP≥25 mmHg, PAWP≤15 mmHg, LVEDP>15 mmHg before or after fluid challenge); and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (mean PAP≥25 mmHg, PAWP≤15 mmHg and LVEDP≤15 mmHg before or after fluid challenge). 53 out of 107 patients had pulmonary hypertension. Based on the PAWP-based definition, 29 out of 53 had PAH and 24 out of 53 had PVH. After considering the resting and post-fluid-challenge LVEDP, 11 PAH patients were reclassified as occult PVH. The occult PVH group was haemodynamically, echocardiographically and demographically closer to the PVH group than the PAH group. PVH had high prevalence in our scleroderma-pulmonary hypertension population. Distinguishing PAH from PVH with only PAWP may result in some PVH patients being misclassified as having PAH.

  9. A 3D View of a Supernova Remnant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2017-06-01

    The outlined regions mark the 57 knots in Tycho selected by the authors for velocity measurements. Magenta regions have redshifted line-of-sight velocities (moving away from us); cyan regions have blueshifted light-of-sight velocities (moving toward us). [Williams et al. 2017]The Tycho supernova remnant was first observed in the year 1572. Nearly 450 years later, astronomers have now used X-ray observations of Tycho to build the first-ever 3D map of a Type Ia supernova remnant.Signs of ExplosionsSupernova remnants are spectacular structures formed by the ejecta of stellar explosions as they expand outwards into the surrounding interstellar medium.One peculiarity of these remnants is that they often exhibit asymmetries in their appearance and motion. Is this because the ejecta are expanding into a nonuniform interstellar medium? Or was the explosion itself asymmetric? The best way we can explore this question is with detailed observations of the remnants.Histograms of the velocity in distribution of the knots in the X (green), Y (blue) and Z (red) directions (+Z is away from the observer). They show no evidence for asymmetric expansion of the knots. [Williams et al. 2017]Enter TychoTo this end, a team of scientists led by Brian Williams (Space Telescope Science Institute and NASA Goddard SFC) has worked to map out the 3D velocities of the ejecta in the Tycho supernova remnant. Tycho is a Type Ia supernova thought to be caused by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf in a binary system that was destabilized by mass transfer from its companion.After 450 years of expansion, the remnant now has the morphological appearance of a roughly circular cloud of clumpy ejecta. The forward shock wave from the supernova, however, is known to have twice the velocity on one side of the shell as on the other.To better understand this asymmetry, Williams and collaborators selected a total of 57 knots in Tychos ejecta, spread out around the remnant. They then used 12 years of

  10. An integration time adaptive control method for atmospheric composition detection of occultation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Lin; Hou, Shuai; Yu, Fei; Liu, Cheng; Li, Chao; Zhe, Lin

    2018-01-01

    When sun is used as the light source for atmospheric composition detection, it is necessary to image sun for accurate identification and stable tracking. In the course of 180 second of the occultation, the magnitude of sun light intensity through the atmosphere changes greatly. It is nearly 1100 times illumination change between the maximum atmospheric and the minimum atmospheric. And the process of light change is so severe that 2.9 times per second of light change can be reached. Therefore, it is difficult to control the integration time of sun image camera. In this paper, a novel adaptive integration time control method for occultation is presented. In this method, with the distribution of gray value in the image as the reference variable, and the concepts of speed integral PID control, the integration time adaptive control problem of high frequency imaging. The large dynamic range integration time automatic control in the occultation can be achieved.

  11. Stellar Occultations by TNOs and Centaurs: first results in the “Gaia era”

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Gustavo; Vieira-Martins, Roberto; Sicardy, Bruno; Ortiz, Jose Luis; Rio Group, Lucky Star Occultation Team, Granada Occultation Team

    2017-10-01

    After the first release of the GAIA catalog (in September/2016), stellar positions are now known with unprecedented accuracy, reaching values of the order of milliarcseconds. This improvement reflected into a stunning accuracy on the astrometry of moving objects, such as TNOs. Unfortunately, Gaia stars proper motions will be only available on the second data release (DR2) next year, so there is still a need to use hybrid stellar catalogs for occultation predictions until then. Despite that, stellar occultations predictions are now much more accurate, and the biggest uncertainties comes mainly from the object ephemerides. This issue will be overcome by large surveys such as the LSST, which will provide positions for the known TNOs and it is expected to increase the number of known TNOs by nearly 40,000, with an unprecedent amount of acquired information.This huge amount of data also poses a new era in stellar occultations: predictions will be very accurate and the participation of professional astronomers, laboratories, and the amateur community will be crucial to observe the predicted events; observation campaigns will need to be selected according to a specific scientific purpose such as the probability to detect rings or archs around a body, the presence of atmosphere or even the detection of topographic features; the development of softwares capable of reducing the data more efficiently and an easier method to coordinate observation campaigns are needed.Here we present some impressive results obtained from predictions and observed occultations in 2017 (among them we have Pluto, Chariklo and Haumea), the problems we are starting to face in the beginning of the “Gaia era” and the future challenges of stellar occultation.

  12. Remnant Cholesterol Elicits Arterial Wall Inflammation and a Multilevel Cellular Immune Response in Humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernelot Moens, Sophie J; Verweij, Simone L; Schnitzler, Johan G

    2017-01-01

    cholesterol accumulates in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells coinciding with myeloid skewing. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with FD have increased arterial wall and cellular inflammation. These findings imply an important inflammatory component to the atherogenicity of remnant cholesterol, contributing......OBJECTIVE: Mendelian randomization studies revealed a causal role for remnant cholesterol in cardiovascular disease. Remnant particles accumulate in the arterial wall, potentially propagating local and systemic inflammation. We evaluated the impact of remnant cholesterol on arterial wall...... inflammation, circulating monocytes, and bone marrow in patients with familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (FD). APPROACH AND RESULTS: Arterial wall inflammation and bone marrow activity were measured using 18F-FDG PET/CT. Monocyte phenotype was assessed with flow cytometry. The correlation between remnant levels...

  13. Helios-1 Faraday rotation experiment - Results and interpretations of the solar occultations in 1975

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volland, H.; Bird, M. K.; Levy, G. S.; Stelzried, C. T.; Seidel, B. L.

    1977-01-01

    The first of two solar occultations of the satellite Helios-1 in 1975 occurred in April when the satellite's ray path approached the west limb of the sun to a minimum distance of 1.63 solar radii. The second occultation took place in late August/early September when Helios-1 was totally eclipsed by the photosphere. Measurements of the polarization angle of the linearly polarized telemetry signal were performed with automatic tracking polarimeters at the 64 m Goldstone Tracking Station in California and also at the 100 m radio telescope in Effelsberg, West Germany. The coronal Faraday rotation as a function of the solar offset for both occultations is shown in graphs. The theoretical significance of the observations is investigated.

  14. Disparities in the receipt of fecal occult blood test versus endoscopy among Filipino American immigrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maxwell, Annette E; Danao, Leda L; Crespi, Catherine M; Antonio, Cynthia; Garcia, Gabriel M; Bastani, Roshan

    2008-08-01

    This report examines disparities associated with the type of colorectal screening test, fecal occult blood test versus endoscopy, within a particular racial/ethnic group, Filipino American immigrants. Between July 2005 and October 2006, Filipino Americans aged 50 to 75 years from 31 community organizations in Los Angeles completed a 15-minute survey in English (65%) or Filipino (35%). Of the 487 respondents included in this analysis, 257 (53%) had never received any type of colorectal cancer screening. Among the 230 subjects who had ever received a routine screening test, 78 had fecal occult blood test only (16% of the total sample), and 152 had endoscopy with or without fecal occult blood test (31% of the total sample). After controlling for access to care and key demographic variables in a multivariate analysis, only two characteristics distinguished between respondents who had fecal occult blood test only versus those who had endoscopy: acculturation, assessed by percent lifetime in the United States and language of interview, and income. Our data suggest a two-tier system, fecal occult blood test for less acculturated Filipino Americans with lower income versus endoscopy for Filipino immigrants with higher levels of acculturation and income. The disparity persists after adjusting for access to care. Instead of treating minority groups as monolithic, differences within groups need to be examined so that interventions can be appropriately targeted.

  15. Detection of an occult transclival cerebrospinal fluid fistula by CT and MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schick, B.; Brors, D.; Draf, W. [Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Head, Neck and Facial Plastic Surgery, Marburg Univ. (Germany); Goedecke, A. [Department of Radiology, Academic Teaching Hospital, Fulda (Germany); Prescher, A. [Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical School, RWTH, Aachen (Germany)

    1998-12-01

    We describe an unusual occult transclival cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula to the sphenoid sinus demonstrated by MRI. CT was performed because of a posterior cerebral infarct caused by cardiac arrhythmia. Axial sections showed fluid in the sphenoid sinus. High-resolution scans revealed a bony defect 3 mm in diameter of the posterior wall of the sphenoid sinus, and MRI showed a transclival CSF fistula. This occult lesion was confirmed by surgery and duraplasty was successfully performed via an endonasal approach. (orig.) With 3 figs., 19 refs.

  16. [ARTHROSCOPIC STUDY OF REMNANT-PRESERVED RECONSTRUCTION OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Daifeng; Xiao, Mochao; Zhang, Yunpeng; Yan, Shi; Dong, Feng; Lian, Yongyun

    2015-08-01

    To investigate the value of ligament remnant preservation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by observing the integrity, the tension, the synovial membrane covering, and the color of the reconstructed ligament under arthroscopy. Between January 2011 and December 2013, 122 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction and arthroscopic internal fixation removal at 1 year after reconstruction were included in this study. Of these cases, 61 cases underwent ACL reconstruction using the remnant-preserved technique (preservation group); the other 61 cases underwent ACL reconstruction using non remnant-preserved technique (non preservation group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injury side, body mass index, type of injury, the time from injury to reconstruction, and the result of KT-2000 examination between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The reconstructed ACL were observed under arthroscopy when internal fixation was removed, and the effectiveness was evaluated according to the criteria of AO Yingfang. In preservation group, the results were excellent in 34 cases, good in 22 cases, fair in 4 cases, and poor in 1 case; and in non preservation group, the results were excellent in 29 cases, good in 20 cases, fair in 10 cases, and poor in 2 cases; and there was no significant difference between 2 groups (Z= -1.320, P=0.187). In ACL reconstruction, the remnant-preserved technique is not obviously better than non remnant-preserved technique in the integrity, tension, membrane covering, and color.

  17. THE ABSENCE OF EX-COMPANIONS IN TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Stefano, R. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kilic, Mukremin, E-mail: rd@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: kilic@ou.edu [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 West Brooks Street, Norman, OK 73019 (United States)

    2012-11-01

    Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play important roles in our study of the expansion and acceleration of the universe, but because we do not know the exact nature or natures of the progenitors, there is a systematic uncertainty that must be resolved if SNe Ia are to become more precise cosmic probes. No progenitor system has ever been identified either in the pre- or post-explosion images of a Ia event. There have been recent claims for and against the detection of ex-companion stars in several SNe Ia remnants. These studies, however, usually ignore the angular momentum gain of the progenitor white dwarf (WD), which leads to a spin-up phase and a subsequent spin-down phase before explosion. For spin-down timescales greater than 10{sup 5} years, the donor star could be too dim to detect by the time of explosion. Here we revisit the current limits on ex-companion stars to SNR 0509-67.5, a 400-year-old remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. If the effects of possible angular momentum gain on the WD are included, a wide range of single-degenerate progenitor models are allowed for this remnant. We demonstrate that the current absence of evidence for ex-companion stars in this remnant, as well as other SNe Ia remnants, does not necessarily provide the evidence of absence for ex-companions. We discuss potential ways to identify such ex-companion stars through deep imaging observations.

  18. THE ABSENCE OF EX-COMPANIONS IN TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Stefano, R.; Kilic, Mukremin

    2012-01-01

    Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play important roles in our study of the expansion and acceleration of the universe, but because we do not know the exact nature or natures of the progenitors, there is a systematic uncertainty that must be resolved if SNe Ia are to become more precise cosmic probes. No progenitor system has ever been identified either in the pre- or post-explosion images of a Ia event. There have been recent claims for and against the detection of ex-companion stars in several SNe Ia remnants. These studies, however, usually ignore the angular momentum gain of the progenitor white dwarf (WD), which leads to a spin-up phase and a subsequent spin-down phase before explosion. For spin-down timescales greater than 10 5 years, the donor star could be too dim to detect by the time of explosion. Here we revisit the current limits on ex-companion stars to SNR 0509-67.5, a 400-year-old remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. If the effects of possible angular momentum gain on the WD are included, a wide range of single-degenerate progenitor models are allowed for this remnant. We demonstrate that the current absence of evidence for ex-companion stars in this remnant, as well as other SNe Ia remnants, does not necessarily provide the evidence of absence for ex-companions. We discuss potential ways to identify such ex-companion stars through deep imaging observations.

  19. Are young supernova remnants interacting with circumstellar gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevalier, R.A.

    1982-01-01

    The young remnants of galactic Type I supernovae (SN 1006, SN 1572, and SN 1604) appear to be interacting with moderately dense gas (n/sub O/> or =0.1 cm -3 ). If the gas in the ambient interstellar medium, the observations suggest that gas of this density is fairly pervasive. If the gas is circumstellar, there are important implications for the progenitors of Type I supernovae. A plausible density distribution for circumstellar gas is rhoinfinityr -2 . The expansion of a supernova into such a medium is examined and is compared with expansion into a uniform medium. The two cases can be distinguished on the basis of their density profiles and their rates of expansion. Currently available data factor the hypothesis of expansion in a uniform medium for all three Type I remnants; the evidence is the strongest for SN 1572 and the weakest for SN 1604. Further X-ray and radio observations of the galactic remnants and of extragalactic Type I supernovae should serve to test this hypothesis

  20. Time evolution of gamma rays from supernova remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaggero, Daniele; Zandanel, Fabio; Cristofari, Pierre; Gabici, Stefano

    2018-04-01

    We present a systematic phenomenological study focused on the time evolution of the non-thermal radiation - from radio waves to gamma rays - emitted by typical supernova remnants via hadronic and leptonic mechanisms, for two classes of progenitors: thermonuclear and core-collapse. To this aim, we develop a numerical tool designed to model the evolution of the cosmic ray spectrum inside a supernova remnant, and compute the associated multi-wavelength emission. We demonstrate the potential of this tool in the context of future population studies based on large collection of high-energy gamma-ray data. We discuss and explore the relevant parameter space involved in the problem, and focus in particular on their impact on the maximum energy of accelerated particles, in order to study the effectiveness and duration of the PeVatron phase. We outline the crucial role of the ambient medium through which the shock propagates during the remnant evolution. In particular, we point out the role of dense clumps in creating a significant hardening in the hadronic gamma-ray spectrum.

  1. Occultism in an African context: a case for the Vhavenda-speaking people of the Limpopo Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. D. Mashau

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Occultism in Africa is as old as the primal religion itself, or what came to be known as African Traditional Religion (ATR in mo- dern times. It dates back to time immemorial. Occultism in Africa has taken various forms and has manifested in different ways over the ages, i.e. spiritism, divination, witchcraft and ma- gic. The underlying premise of African occultism is the belief in a spiritual world with spiritual forces that have power to inflict harm on the living. In the traditional African worldview suffering of every sort – illness, barrenness, drought and death – is nor- mally explained in personal terms: “there is always somebody”. This “somebody” often belongs to the world of the occult: a “spirit” has brought pain to human beings and must therefore be repelled or accommodated. This is very common among the Vhavenda-speaking people of the Limpopo Province. This ar- ticle seeks to investigate how occultism is practised among these people and to provide a reformed perspective as to how people who are suffering under demonic attacks can be helped. Contrary to other Christian traditions that see exorcism as the only way out, reformed theology suggests a missio-pastoral approach in dealing with the problem.

  2. Gastric Endocrine Cell Carcinoma with Long-Term Survival Developing Metachronous Remnant Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoyuki Abe

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available A rare case of primary gastric endocrine cell carcinoma in a 79-year-old man is reported. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a large Bormann’s type 2 tumour located in the middle of the stomach. On computed tomography, the gastric wall was thickened by the large tumour, and there were no distant metastases. Distal gastrectomy, lymph node dissection, and partial resection of the transverse colon were performed because the tumour involved the transverse mesocolon. The final pathological diagnosis was endocrine cell carcinoma, with tumour infiltration up to the subserous layer. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given, but metachronous remnant gastric cancer developed 2 years after surgery. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed for the early 0-IIc type gastric cancer, and the surgical margin was preserved. The patient has survived for 5 years after the primary surgery, remaining disease-free so far.

  3. Clinical relevance of non-fasting and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and remnant cholesterol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordestgaard, Børge G; Freiberg, Jacob J

    2011-01-01

    Non-fasting triglycerides are measured at any time within up to 8 h (14 h) after any normal meal, while postprandial triglycerides are measured at a fixed time point within up to 8 h (14 h) of a standardised fat tolerance test. The simplest possible way of evaluating remnant cholesterol is non......-fasting/postprandial total cholesterol minus low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol minus high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Elevated levels of non-fasting/postprandial triglycerides directly correlate with elevated remnant cholesterol. In the general population, 38% of men have non......-fasting/postprandial triglycerides > 2mmol/L (>176 mg/dL) while 45% of men have non-fasting/postprandial triglyceride levels of 1-2 mmol/L (89-176 mg/dL); corresponding fractions in women are 20% and 47%. Also, 31% of men have remnant cholesterol levels > 1mmol/L (>39 mg/dL) while 46% of men have remnant cholesterol levels of 0...

  4. Remnant pancreatic parenchymal volume predicts postoperative pancreatic exocrine insufficiency after pancreatectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okano, Keisuke; Murakami, Yoshiaki; Nakagawa, Naoya; Uemura, Kenichiro; Sudo, Takeshi; Hashimoto, Yasushi; Kondo, Naru; Takahashi, Shinya; Sueda, Taijiro

    2016-03-01

    Pancreatectomy, including pancreatoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy, often causes postoperative pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). Our aim was to clarify a relationship between remnant pancreatic volume and postoperative PEI. A total of 227 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a (13)C-labeled mixed triglyceride breath test to assess pancreatic exocrine function and abdominal dynamic computed tomography for assessing remnant pancreatic volume after pancreatectomy at a median of 7 months postoperatively. The percent (13)CO2 cumulative dose at 7 hours (% dose (13)C cum 7 h) pancreatectomy were performed in 174 (76.7%) and 53 (23.3%) patients, respectively. Of the 227 patients, 128 (56.3%) developed postoperative PEI. Postoperative % dose (13)C cum 7 h was strongly correlated with remnant pancreatic volume (r = .509, P pancreatectomy (P pancreatectomy. Remnant pancreatic volume may predict postoperative PEI in patients who undergo pancreatectomy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Incidence of occult leiomyosarcoma in presumed morcellation cases: a database study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Ana M; Asoglu, Mehmet R; Sak, Muhammet Erdal; Tan, Alai; Borahay, Mostafa A; Kilic, Gokhan S

    2016-02-01

    Our objective was to estimate the incidence of uterine leiomyosarcoma in patients with leiomyomas following laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy and myomectomy procedures. For this study, we analyzed records of 13,964 women aged 25-64 years who underwent laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomies or myomectomies for leiomyomas from 2002 to 2011 using Clinformatics DataMart. Patient records were divided into two groups: history of laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy and history of myomectomy. Subjects were tracked to identify diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma within 1 year of the procedure. We analyzed data from the 25-39, 40-49, and 50-64 age brackets. Evidence was obtained from a cohort study from national private insurance claims in the US. Our results showed the incidence of occult leiomyosarcoma developing within 1 year following supracervical hysterectomy using a laparoscopic-assisted approach are 9.8, 10.7, and 33.4 per 10,000 for the 25-39, 40-49, and 50-64 age brackets, respectively; the overall incidence rate is 13.1 per 10,000. The incidence rate of occult leiomyosarcoma developing within 1 year following myomectomy using a laparoscopic-assisted approach are 0.0, 33.8, and 90.1 per 10,000 for the 25-39, 40-49, and 50-64 age brackets, respectively; the overall incidence rate is 17.3 per 10,000. Our analysis shows the overall risk of being diagnosed with occult leiomyosarcoma is 12.9 per 10,000 in laparoscopic-assisted supracervical hysterectomy and myomectomy for patients younger than 49. There is no evidence of occult leiomyosarcoma 1 year after operation for patients younger than 40 who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  6. Lowest-order average effect of turbulence on atmospheric profiles derived from radio occultation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eshleman, V.R.; Haugstad, B.S.

    1977-01-01

    Turbulence in planetary atmospheres and ionospheres causes changes in angles of refraction of radio waves used in occultation experiments. Atmospheric temperature and pressure profiles, and ionospheric electron concentration profiles, derived from radio occultation measurements of Doppler frequency contain errors due to such angular offsets. The lowest-order average errors are derived from a geometrical-optics treatment of the radio-wave phase advance caused by the addition of uniform turbulence to an initially homogeneous medium. It is concluded that the average profile errors are small and that precise Doppler frequency measurements at two or more wavelengths could be used to help determine characteristics of the turbulence, as well as accuracy limits and possible correction terms for the profiles. However, a more detailed study of both frequency and intensity characteristics in radio and optical occultation measurements of turbulent planetary atmospheres and ionospheres is required to realize the full potential of such measurements

  7. Occult hepatitis B virus coinfection in HIV-positive African migrants to the UK: a point prevalence study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadwick, D; Doyle, T; Ellis, S; Price, D; Abbas, I; Valappil, M; Geretti, A M

    2014-03-01

    Occult (surface antigen-negative/DNA-positive) hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in areas of the world where HBV is endemic. The main objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of occult HBV infection in HIV-infected African migrants to the UK and to determine factors associated with occult coinfection. This anonymized point-prevalence study identified Africans attending three HIV clinics, focussing on patients naïve to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Stored blood samples were tested for HBV DNA. Prevalence was calculated in the entire cohort, as well as in subpopulations. Risk factors for occult HBV coinfection were identified using logistic regression analysis. Among 335 HIV-positive African migrants, the prevalence of occult HBV coinfection was 4.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8-7.4%] overall, and 6.5% (95% CI 3.9-10.6%) and 0.8% (95% CI 0.2-4.6%) in ART-naïve and ART-experienced patients, respectively. Among ART-naïve anti-HBV core (anti-HBc)-positive patients, the prevalence was 16.4% (95% CI 8.3-25.6%). The strongest predictor of occult coinfection was anti-HBc positivity [odds ratio (OR) 7.4; 95% CI 2.0-27.6]. Median HBV DNA and ALT levels were 54 IU/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 33-513 IU/mL] and 22 U/L (IQR 13-27 U/L), respectively. Occult HBV coinfection remains under-diagnosed in African HIV-infected patients in the UK. Given the range of HBV DNA levels observed, further studies are warranted to determine its clinical significance and to guide screening strategies and ART selection in these patients. © 2013 British HIV Association.

  8. PROGENITOR-EXPLOSION CONNECTION AND REMNANT BIRTH MASSES FOR NEUTRINO-DRIVEN SUPERNOVAE OF IRON-CORE PROGENITORS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ugliano, Marcella; Janka, Hans-Thomas; Marek, Andreas [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Arcones, Almudena [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 2, D-64289 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2012-09-20

    We perform hydrodynamic supernova (SN) simulations in spherical symmetry for over 100 single stars of solar metallicity to explore the progenitor-explosion and progenitor-remnant connections established by the neutrino-driven mechanism. We use an approximative treatment of neutrino transport and replace the high-density interior of the neutron star (NS) by an inner boundary condition based on an analytic proto-NS core-cooling model, whose free parameters are chosen such that explosion energy, nickel production, and energy release by the compact remnant of progenitors around 20 M{sub Sun} are compatible with SN 1987A. Thus, we are able to simulate the accretion phase, initiation of the explosion, subsequent neutrino-driven wind phase for 15-20 s, and the further evolution of the blast wave for hours to days until fallback is completed. Our results challenge long-standing paradigms. We find that remnant mass, launch time, and properties of the explosion depend strongly on the stellar structure and exhibit large variability even in narrow intervals of the progenitors' zero-age main-sequence mass. While all progenitors with masses below {approx}15 M{sub Sun} yield NSs, black hole (BH) as well as NS formation is possible for more massive stars, where partial loss of the hydrogen envelope leads to weak reverse shocks and weak fallback. Our NS baryonic masses of {approx}1.2-2.0 M{sub Sun} and BH masses >6 M{sub Sun} are compatible with a possible lack of low-mass BHs in the empirical distribution. Neutrino heating accounts for SN energies between some 10{sup 50} erg and {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 51} erg but can hardly explain more energetic explosions and nickel masses higher than 0.1-0.2 M{sub Sun }. These seem to require an alternative SN mechanism.

  9. The acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhat, C.L.; Issa, M.R.

    1986-01-01

    The idea that the bulk of cosmic rays below 10 GeV are accelerated in supernova remnants suggests that cosmic rays should also exhibit intensity variations on a scale comparable with the linear size of a representative remnant. Following the general spirit of shock-wave acceleration models, here Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to predict what this scale should be and then corroborative evidence is presented from an autocorrelation analysis of the COS B and SAS II γ-ray data for the latitude range |b|=10-20 0 ('near Galaxy') and |b| 0 ('far Galaxy'). (author)

  10. Case report of bilateral cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Hannes; Hofmann, Thiemo; Wolfgruber, Herwig; Anderhuber, Wolfgang; Beham, Alfred; Stammberger, Heinz

    2003-01-01

    Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare and not well known lesions. Histologically the lesion per definition presents as a Choristoma. Choristoma is the pathohistological term for a developmental tumor-like anomaly consisting of tissues foreign to the site at which it is located. Treatment is complete surgical removal as promptly as possible in order to get an exact histopathological diagnosis. A case of a 4-month-old boy with cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants anterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscles on both sides is presented. According to literature search this appears to be the second case published on such a bilateral lesion.

  11. Astrometry of the Orcus/Vanth occultation on UT 7 March 2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosh, Amanda S.; Zuluaga, Carlos; Levine, Stephen; Sickafoose, Amanda A.; Genade, Anja; Schindler, Karsten; Lister, Tim; Person, Michael J.

    2017-10-01

    On UT 7 March 2017, Orcus was predicted to occult a star with m=14.3. Observations were made at five observatories: the 0.6-m Astronomical Telescope of the University of Stuttgart (ATUS) at Sierra Remote Observatories (SRO), California; Las Cumbres Observatory’s 1-m telescope (ELP) at McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas; NASA’s 3-m InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii; the 4.1-m Southern Astrophysical Research telescope (SOAR) on Cerro Pachón, Chile; and the 0.6-m Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy telescope (SARA-CT) at Cerro Tololo, Chile. While observations at all sites were successful, only two—ELP and IRTF—observed solid-body occultation signatures. We will discuss the various predictions for this event and the reasons for the differences among them, including an offset of 130 mas for the star position from the position in the Gaia catalog. The sum of the positive and negative detections place constraints on the geometry of the Orcus/Vanth system, and we present our astrometric results for the geometric solution for this occultation. The implications of the light curve analyses are presented by Sickafoose et al., this conference.

  12. Efficacy of different I-131 doses for thyroid remnant ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, X.C.; Thiep, T.V.; Hung, N.C.

    2007-01-01

    Full text: Radioactive iodine 131 I has been widely used as a treatment modality of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The need for high dose radioiodine ablation of thyroid remnant is still in question. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy of 131 I different single and fractionated doses in ablation of post-operative thyroid remnant. Patients and methods: One hundred-twelve patients were included in this study. Sixty-one patients with TSH≥30 μU/ml were treated 30 mCi in group 1 (36 patients) or 100 mCi in group 2 (25 patients). Fifty one patients with TSH 131 I high dose of 100 mCi and no severe adverse effect in the other groups. Conclusion: Single high dose (100 mCi) may be more efficient than single low dose (30 mCi) for post-operative remnant ablation with serum TSH≥30 μU/ml and the efficacy of low fractionated doses (30+30 mCi) was comparable with high-fractionated dose (30+100 mCi) for post-operative remnant ablation with low serum TSH in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. (author)

  13. Mergers in galaxy groups. I. Structure and properties of elliptical remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taranu, Dan S.; Dubinski, John; Yee, H. K. C.

    2013-01-01

    We present collisionless simulations of dry mergers in groups of 3 to 25 galaxies to test the hypothesis that elliptical galaxies form at the centers of such groups. Mock observations of the central remnants confirm their similarity to ellipticals, despite having no dissipational component. We vary the profile of the original spiral's bulge and find that ellipticals formed from spirals with exponential bulges have too low Sersic indices. Mergers of spirals with de Vaucouleurs (classical) bulges produce remnants with larger Sersic indices correlated with luminosity, as with Sloan Digital Sky Survey ellipticals. Exponential bulge mergers are better fits to faint ellipticals, whereas classical bulge mergers better match luminous ellipticals. Similarly, luminous ellipticals are better reproduced by remnants undergoing many (>5) mergers, and fainter ellipticals by those with fewer mergers. The remnants follow tight size-luminosity and velocity dispersion-luminosity (Faber-Jackson) relations (<0.12 dex scatter), demonstrating that stochastic merging can produce tight scaling relations if the merging galaxies also follow tight scaling relations. The slopes of the size-luminosity and Faber-Jackson relations are close to observations but slightly shallower in the former case. Both relations' intercepts are offset—remnants are too large but have too low dispersions at fixed luminosity. Some remnants show substantial (v/σ > 0.1) rotational support, although most are slow rotators and few are very fast rotators (v/σ > 0.5). These findings contrast with previous studies concluding that dissipation is necessary to produce ellipticals from binary mergers of spirals. Multiple, mostly minor and dry mergers can produce bright ellipticals, whereas significant dissipation could be required to produce faint, rapidly rotating ellipticals.

  14. Pancreatic Cancer Arising From the Remnant Pancreas: Is It a Local Recurrence or New Primary Lesion?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, Daisuke; Chikamoto, Akira; Masuda, Toshiro; Nakagawa, Shigeki; Imai, Katsunori; Yamashita, Yo-Ichi; Reber, Howard A; Baba, Hideo

    2017-10-01

    Local recurrence of pancreatic cancer (PC) can occur in the pancreatic remnant. In addition, new primary PC can develop in the remnant. There are limited data available regarding this so-called remnant PC. The aim of this review was to describe the characteristics and therapeutic strategy regarding remnant PC. A literature search was performed using Medline published in English according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The incidence of remnant PC has been reported to be 3% to 5%. It is difficult to distinguish local recurrence from new primary PC. Genetic diagnosis such as Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog mutation may resolve this problem. For patients with remnant PC, repeated pancreatectomy can be performed. Residual total pancreatectomy is the most common procedure. Recent studies have described the safety of the operation because of recent surgical progress and perioperative care. The patients with remnant PC without distant metastasis have shown good long-term outcomes, especially those who underwent repeated pancreatectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy may contribute to longer survival. In conclusion, this review found that both local recurrence and new primary PC can develop in the pancreatic remnant. Repeated pancreatectomy for the remnant PC is a feasible procedure and can prolong patient survival.

  15. CHARACTERISTICS OF EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE REMNANT EDGE BY OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaber, Raouf; You, Qi Sheng; Muftuoglu, Ilkay Kilic; Alam, Mostafa; Tsai, Frank F; Mendoza, Nadia; Freeman, William R

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate the incidence, characteristics, and the progression of epiretinal membrane (ERM) remnant edge seen by optical coherence tomography after ERM peeling. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 86 eyes of 85 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with ERM and underwent pars plana vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane peeling between 2013 and 2014. Data collected and analyzed included age, gender, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, use of indocyanine green dye to stain internal limiting membrane, tamponade used after vitrectomy, ERM edge boundaries, presence of cystoid macular edema, and central foveal thickness. An ERM remnant edge was detected in 33/86 study eyes (38.4%) at the first postoperative optical coherence tomography scan. Compared with those without an ERM remnant, patients with an ERM remnant after surgery were significantly older at baseline and had a higher incidence of ERM recurrence at their last visit. They were not significantly different in terms of gender, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, reduction of central foveal thickness from baseline, proportion of eyes with preoperative ERM elevation on optical coherence tomography, presence of macular edema before surgery, intraoperative use of indocyanine green staining for ILM peeling, or tamponade used. Based on the edge morphology, we classified the ERM remnant into three types: Type 1 was flat and blended with the retina (14/33 eyes, 42.4%), Type 2 was flat but stepped (17/33 eyes, 51.5%), and Type 3 was elevated (2/33 eyes, 6.0%). A significantly higher risk of ERM recurrence was seen in Type 2 and Type 3 ERM remnants (75% and 100%, respectively) than Type 1 ERM remnants (10%). An ERM remnant edge was detected by optical coherence tomography after ERM peeling in 38.4% of eyes. The presence of a postoperative ERM edge was associated with a higher risk of ERM recurrence, particularly in Type 2 and Type 3 ERM remnants.

  16. Radio occultation bending angle anomalies during tropical cyclones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Neubert, Torsten; Syndergaard, S.

    2011-01-01

    -located radiosondes, climatology of tropopause altitudes and GOES analyses are also shown to support the hypothesis that the bending angle anomaly can be used as an indicator of convective towers. The results are discussed in connection to the GPS radio occultation receiver which will be part of the Atomic Clock...

  17. Low-Cost Small Satellite Atmospheric Rotating Solar Occultation Imager (ROI)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Utilizing a unique, new occultation technique involving imaging, the ROI concept will meet or exceed the quality of SAGE measurements at a small fraction of the...

  18. THE FIRST FERMI LAT SUPERNOVA REMNANT CATALOG

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Acero, F.; Ballet, J. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Université Paris Diderot, Service d’Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Ackermann, M.; Buehler, R. [Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Ajello, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson, SC 29634-0978 (United States); Baldini, L. [Università di Pisa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Barbiellini, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy); Bastieri, D.; Buson, S. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Bellazzini, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bissaldi, E. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, I-70126 Bari (Italy); Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.; Bottacini, E.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Bonino, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Brandt, T. J. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Bregeon, J. [Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, Université Montpellier, CNRS/IN2P3, Montpellier (France); Bruel, P., E-mail: francesco.depalma@ba.infn.it, E-mail: t.j.brandt@nasa.gov, E-mail: john.w.hewitt@unf.edu [Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, École polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Palaiseau (France); and others

    2016-05-01

    To uniformly determine the properties of supernova remnants (SNRs) at high energies, we have developed the first systematic survey at energies from 1 to 100 GeV using data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Based on the spatial overlap of sources detected at GeV energies with SNRs known from radio surveys, we classify 30 sources as likely GeV SNRs. We also report 14 marginal associations and 245 flux upper limits. A mock catalog in which the positions of known remnants are scrambled in Galactic longitude allows us to determine an upper limit of 22% on the number of GeV candidates falsely identified as SNRs. We have also developed a method to estimate spectral and spatial systematic errors arising from the diffuse interstellar emission model, a key component of all Galactic Fermi LAT analyses. By studying remnants uniformly in aggregate, we measure the GeV properties common to these objects and provide a crucial context for the detailed modeling of individual SNRs. Combining our GeV results with multiwavelength (MW) data, including radio, X-ray, and TeV, we demonstrate the need for improvements to previously sufficient, simple models describing the GeV and radio emission from these objects. We model the GeV and MW emission from SNRs in aggregate to constrain their maximal contribution to observed Galactic cosmic rays.

  19. Digital solar edge tracker for the Halogen Occultation Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauldin, L. E., III; Moore, A. S.; Stump, C. W.; Mayo, L. S.

    1987-01-01

    The optical and electronic design of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (Haloe) elevation sun sensor is described. The Haloe instrument is a gas-correlation radiometer now being developed at NASA Langley for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. The system uses a Galilean telescope to form a solar image on a linear silicon photodiode array. The array is a self-scanned monolithic CCD. The addresses of both solar edges imaged on the array are used by the control/pointing system to scan the Haloe science instantaneous field of view (IFOV) across the vertical solar diameter during instrument calibration and then to maintain the science IFOV 4 arcmin below the top edge during the science data occultation event. Vertical resolution of 16 arcsec and a radiometric dynamic range of 100 are achieved at the 700-nm operating wavelength. The design provides for loss of individual photodiode elements without loss of angular tracking capability.

  20. Significance of occult hbv infection in patients with chronic hepatitis c

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anwar, W.; Sarwar, M.; Saif, M.; Hussain, A.B.; Tariq, W.Z.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of occurrence of occult Hepatitis B infection in chronic hepatitis C patients and its impact (if any) on the effectivity of standard chronic hepatitis C treatment. Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, and Virology Department, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, for a period of nine months from January 2003 to September 2003. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 30 HBsAg negative patients with chronic hepatitis C liver disease who were receiving combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin. Occult hepatitis B infection was assessed by carrying out HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the sera of these patients. Markers of previous hepatitis B infection Le; anti-HBs and total anti-HBc antibodies were also tested. Response to treatment for hepatitis C (with interferon and ribavirin) was assessed at the end of six months of therapy by measuring ALT levels and HCV RNA by PCR in the serum. Results: In our study only one patient (3.33%) was found to be harbouring HBV DNA in the serum detectable by PCR, with markers of previous HBV infection (both anti HBc antibodies and anti HBs antibodies were positive). A total 14 patients (46.67%) had markers of previous HBV infection, while 16 patients (53.33%) had no such sero markers. Twenty five out of 30 patients (83.33%) responded to treatment and 5 (16.66%) turned out to be non-responders. The single case of occult hepatitis B detected in this study responded to hepatitis C treatment. Conclusion: Occult hepatitis B is not a common occurrence in chronic hepatitis C patients and it did not alter the outcome of treatment for hepatitis C in our study. (author)

  1. Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT): MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... caused by a variety of conditions, including: Polyps Hemorrhoids Diverticulosis Ulcers Colitis , a type of inflammatory bowel ... on a fecal occult blood test include ulcers, hemorrhoids, polyps, and benign tumors. If your test results ...

  2. Constraining the number of compact remnants near Sgr A*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deegan, Patrick; Nayakshin, Sergei

    2007-05-01

    Due to dynamical friction stellar mass black holes and neutron stars are expected to form high-density cusps in the inner parsec of our Galaxy. These compact remnants, expected to number around 20000, may be accreting cold dense gas present there, and give rise to potentially observable X-ray emission. Here we build a simple but detailed time-dependent model of such emission. The possibility that these accretion flows are radiatively inefficient is taken into account and brings in some uncertainty in the conclusions. Despite this uncertainty, we find that at least several X-ray sources of this nature should be detectable with Chandra at any one time. Turning this issue around, we also ask a question of what current observational constraints might be telling us about the total number of compact remnants. In our `best guess' model, a cusp of ~40000 remnants overpredicts the number of discrete sources and the total X-ray luminosity of the inner parsec, and is hence ruled out. In the most radiatively inefficient scenario that we consider, the radiative efficiency is set to be as small as ɛ = 10-5. In this rather unlikely scenario, a cusp of ~40000 black holes would be allowed by the data, but several individual sources should still be visible. Future observations of the distribution and orbits of the cold ionized gas in the inner parsec of our Galaxy will put tighter constraints on the cusp of compact remnants.

  3. Planck intermediate results XXXI. Microwave survey of Galactic supernova remnants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Atrio-Barandela, F.

    2016-01-01

    The all-sky Planck survey in 9 frequency bands was used to search for emission from all 274 known Galactic supernova remnants. Of these, 16 were detected in at least two Planck frequencies. The radio-through-microwave spectral energy distributions were compiled to determine the mechanism for micr......The all-sky Planck survey in 9 frequency bands was used to search for emission from all 274 known Galactic supernova remnants. Of these, 16 were detected in at least two Planck frequencies. The radio-through-microwave spectral energy distributions were compiled to determine the mechanism...... for microwave emission. In only one case, IC 443, is there high-frequency emission clearly from dust associated with the supernova remnant. In all cases, the low-frequency emission is from synchrotron radiation. As predicted for a population of relativistic particles with energy distribution that extends...

  4. Occult spontaneous lateral intrasphenoidal encephalocele: A rare presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahina Bano

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Basal encephaloceles are extremely rare congenital malformations. Advanced cross-sectional imaging modalities like computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are necessary for diagnosing the asymptomatic, occult basal encephalocele and planning the surgical approach. We present an interesting case of clinically silent right-sided lateral intrasphenoidal encephalocele through a large bony defect.

  5. Results from occultations by minor planets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, G.E.

    1982-01-01

    Since the minor planets are believed to consist of primordial matter dating from the time of the formation of the solar system there is great interest in determining their composition. It is therefore necessary to calculate their densities, for which we need accurate masses and sizes. On the rare occasions when a minor planet occults a star, timed observations of the event from a number of observing sites enable an accurate size of the minor planet to be determined. (Auth.)

  6. Progress in turbulence detection via GNSS occultation data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. B. Cornman

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The increased availability of radio occultation (RO data offers the ability to detect and study turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. An analysis of how RO data can be used to determine the strength and location of turbulent regions is presented. This includes the derivation of a model for the power spectrum of the log-amplitude and phase fluctuations of the permittivity (or index of refraction field. The bulk of the paper is then concerned with the estimation of the model parameters. Parameter estimators are introduced and some of their statistical properties are studied. These estimators are then applied to simulated log-amplitude RO signals. This includes the analysis of global statistics derived from a large number of realizations, as well as case studies that illustrate various specific aspects of the problem. Improvements to the basic estimation methods are discussed, and their beneficial properties are illustrated. The estimation techniques are then applied to real occultation data. Only two cases are presented, but they illustrate some of the salient features inherent in real data.

  7. Hot interstellar tunnels. I. Simulation of interacting supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, B.W.

    1977-01-01

    Reexamining a suggestion of Cox and Smith, we find that intersecting supernova remnants can indeed generate and maintain hot interstellar regions with napproximately-less-than10 -2 cm -3 and Tapprox.10 6 K. These regions are likely to occupy at least 30% of the volume of a spiral arm near the midplane of the gaseous disk if the local supernova rate there is greater than 1.5 x 10 -7 Myr -1 pc -3 . Their presence in the interstellar medium is supported by observations of the soft X-ray background. The theory required to build a numerical simulation of interacting supernova remnants is developed. The hot cavities within a population of remnants will become connected for a variety of assumed conditions in the outer shells of old remnants. Extensive hot cavity regions or tunnels are built and enlarged by supernovae occurring in relatively dense gas which produce connections, but tunnels are kept hot primarily by supernovae occurring within the tunnels. The latter supernovae initiate fast shock waves which apparently reheat tunnels faster than they are destroyed by thermal conduction in a galactic magnetic field or by radiative cooling. However, the dispersal of these rejuvenating shocks over a wide volume is inhibited by motions of cooler interstellar gas in the interval between shocks. These motions disrupt the contiguity of the component cavities of a tunnel and may cause its death.The Monte Carlo simulations indicate that a quasi-equilibrium is reached within 10 7 years of the first supernova in a spiral arm. This equilibrium is characterized by a constant average filling fraction for cavities in the interstellar volume. Aspects of the equilibrium are discussed for a range of supernova rates. Two predictions of Cox and Smith are not confirmed within this range: critical growth of hot regions to encompass the entire medium, and the efficient quenching of a remnant's expansion by interaction with other cavities

  8. Sizes of the Smallest Particles at Saturn Ring Edges from Diffraction in UVIS Stellar Occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckert, S.; Colwell, J. E.; Becker, T. M.; Esposito, L. W.

    2017-12-01

    Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) has observed more than 150 ring stellar occultations since its arrival at Saturn in 2004. We use stellar occultation data from the UVIS High Speed Photometer (HSP) to identify diffraction signals at ring edges caused by small particles diffracting light into the detector and consequently increasing the signal above that of the unocculted star. The shape of a diffraction signal is indicative of the particle size distribution at the ring edge, which may be a dynamically perturbed region. Becker et al. (2015 Icarus doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.11.001) analyzed diffraction signals at the outer edge of the A Ring and the edges of the Encke Gap. We apply the Becker et al. (2015) model to the outer edge of the B Ring as well as the edges of ringlets within the C Ring and Cassini Division. In addition, we analyze diffraction signatures at the A Ring outer edge in 2 new occultations. The best-fit model signals to these occultations are consistent with the findings of Becker et al. (2015) who found an average minimum particle size amin =4.5 mm and average power law slope q=3.2. At the B Ring outer edge, we detect a diffraction signal in 10 of 28 occultations in which the diffraction signal would be observable according to our criteria for star brightness and observation geometry. We find a mean amin =11 mm and a mean q=3.0. At both edges of the so-called "Strange" ringlet (R6) we find a mean amin = 20 mm and mean q values of 3.0 and 2.8 at the inner and outer edges, respectively. In contrast, we do not observe any clear diffraction signals at either edge of the wider Huygens ringlet. This could imply an absence of cm-scale or smaller particles and indicates that collisions here may be less vigorous than at the other ring edges analyzed in this study. We detect diffraction in a small fraction ( 10%) of occultations at 3 ringlets within the Cassini Division: the Herschel ringlet, the Laplace ringlet, and the Barnard ringlet. We

  9. Vaginal prolapse repair with or without a midurethral sling in women with genital prolapse and occult stress urinary incontinence: a randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Ploeg, J Marinus; Oude Rengerink, Katrien; van der Steen, Annemarie; van Leeuwen, Jules H Schagen; van der Vaart, C Huub; Roovers, Jan-Paul W R

    2016-07-01

    We compared pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair with and without midurethral sling (MUS) in women with occult stress urinary incontinence (SUI). This was a randomized trial conducted by a consortium of 13 teaching hospitals assessing a parallel cohort of continent women with symptomatic stage II or greater POP. Women with occult SUI were randomly assigned to vaginal prolapse repair with or without MUS. Women without occult SUI received POP surgery. Main outcomes were the absence of SUI at the 12-month follow-up based on the Urogenital Distress Inventory and the need for additional treatment for SUI. We evaluated 231 women, of whom 91 randomized as follows: 43 to POP surgery with and 47 without MUS. A greater number of women in the MUS group reported absence of SUI [86 % vs. 48 %; relative risk (RR) 1.79; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.29-2.48]. No women in the MUS group received additional treatment for postoperative SUI; six (13 %) in the control group had a secondary MUS. Women with occult SUI reported more urinary symptoms after POP surgery and more often underwent treatment for postoperative SUI than women without occult SUI. Women with occult SUI had a higher risk of reporting SUI after POP surgery compared with women without occult SUI. Adding a MUS to POP surgery reduced the risk of postoperative SUI and the need for its treatment in women with occult SUI. Of women with occult SUI undergoing POP-only surgery, 13 % needed additional MUS. We found no differences in global impression of improvement and quality of life.

  10. Cholesterol remnants and triglycerides are associated with decreased myocardial function in patients with type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Peter Godsk; Jensen, Magnus Thorsten; Biering-Sørensen, Tor

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Recently, genetic studies have suggested a causal relationship between cholesterol remnants and ischemic heart disease. We aimed to determine whether cholesterol remnants and its marker, triglyceride levels, are associated with cardiac function as determined by sensitive echocardiogra......BACKGROUND: Recently, genetic studies have suggested a causal relationship between cholesterol remnants and ischemic heart disease. We aimed to determine whether cholesterol remnants and its marker, triglyceride levels, are associated with cardiac function as determined by sensitive...... secondary care centers. RESULTS: In multivariable analyses, triglycerides and cholesterol remnants were not associated with left ventricular ejection fraction, but with subtle measures of systolic function, including global longitudinal strain by speckle tracking and longitudinal displacement by tissue...... Doppler echocardiography: global longitudinal strain [0.33 % (0.14), p = 0.02 per doubling in cholesterol remnants and 0.28 % (0.13), p = 0.03 per doubling in triglyceride levels] and with longitudinal displacement [-0.25 mm (0.10), p = 0.01 per doubling in cholesterol remnants and -0.25 mm (0.09), p = 0...

  11. CORRELATION OF SUPERNOVA REMNANT MASERS AND GAMMA-RAY SOURCES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hewitt, John W.; Yusef-Zadeh, Farhad; Wardle, Mark

    2009-01-01

    Supernova remnants (SNRs) interacting with molecular clouds are potentially exciting systems in which to detect evidence of cosmic ray acceleration. Prominent γ-ray emission is produced via the decay of neutral pions when cosmic rays encounter nearby dense clouds. In many of the SNRs coincident with γ-ray sources, the presence of OH (1720 MHz) masers is used to identify interaction with dense gas and to provide a kinematic distance to the system. In this Letter we use statistical tests to demonstrate that there is a correlation between these masers and a class of GeV- to TeV-energy γ-ray sources coincident with interacting remnants. For pion decay the γ-ray luminosity provides a direct estimate of the local cosmic ray density. We find the cosmic ray density is enhanced by one to two orders of magnitude over the local solar value, comparable to X-ray-induced ionization in these remnants. The inferred ionization rates are sufficient to explain non-equilibrium chemistry in the post-shock gas, where high columns of hydroxyl are observed.

  12. Modelling neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes in supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballet, J; Cassam-Chenai, G; Maurin, G; Naumann, C

    2008-01-01

    Supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to accelerate charged particles by diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) and to produce the majority of galactic cosmic rays, at least up to the 'knee' at 3-10 15 electron volts. In the framework of a hydrodynamic self-similar simulation of the evolution of young supernova remnants, its interaction with the ambient matter as well as the microwave and infrared background is studied. The photon spectra resulting from synchrotron and inverse Compton emission as well as from hadronic processes are calculated, as are the accompanying neutrino fluxes. Applying this method to the particular case of the SNR RXJ-1713, 7-3946, we find that its TeV emission can in principle be explained by pion decay if the ambient density is assumed to grow with increasing distance from the centre. The neutrino flux associated with this hadronic model is of a magnitude that may be detectable by a cubic-kilometre sized deep-sea neutrino telescope in the northern hemisphere. In this poster, a description of the supernova remnant simulation is given together with the results concerning RXJ-1713.

  13. Neurogenic bladder from occult herpes zoster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothrock, J F; Walicke, P A; Swenson, M R

    1986-11-01

    Active infection with herpes zoster may cause acute urinary retention, especially when it involves sacral dermatomes. Although frank retention usually develops days to weeks after eruption of the typical rash, bladder incompetence infrequently develops first, raising concern over other, more ominous etiologies. In the case presented, rash appearance was delayed until six weeks after the initial onset of urinary retention, a much longer interval than previously reported. Occult herpes zoster infection should be considered in patients presenting with an acute neurogenic bladder of obscure cause.

  14. Partial tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament: diagnosis and treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Frois Temponi

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL are common and represent 10-27% of the total. The main reasons for attending to cases of non-torn bundles are biomechanical, vascular and proprioceptive. Continued presence of the bundle also serves as protection during the healing process. There is controversy regarding the definition of these injuries, which is based on anatomy, clinical examination, translation measurements, imaging examinations and arthroscopy. The way in which it is treated will depend on the existing laxity and instability. Conservative treatment is optional for cases without instability, with a focus on motor rehabilitation. Surgical treatment is a challenge, since it requires correct positioning of the bone tunnels and conservation of the remnants of the torn bundle. The pivot shift test under anesthesia, the magnetic resonance findings, the previous level and type of sports activity and the arthroscopic appearance and mechanical properties of the remnants will aid the orthopedist in the decision-making process between conservative treatment, surgical treatment with strengthening of the native ACL (selective reconstruction and classical (anatomical reconstruction.

  15. Duty-cycle and energetics of remnant radio-loud AGN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Ross J.

    2018-05-01

    Deriving the energetics of remnant and restarted active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is much more challenging than for active sources due to the complexity in accurately determining the time since the nucleus switched-off. I resolve this problem using a new approach that combines spectral ageing and dynamical models to tightly constrain the energetics and duty-cycles of dying sources. Fitting the shape of the integrated radio spectrum yields the fraction of the source age the nucleus is active; this, in addition to the flux density, source size, axis ratio, and properties of the host environment, provides a constraint on dynamical models describing the remnant radio source. This technique is used to derive the intrinsic properties of the well-studied remnant radio source B2 0924+30. This object is found to spend 50_{-12}^{+14} Myr in the active phase and a further 28_{-5}^{+6} Myr in the quiescent phase, have a jet kinetic power of 3.6_{-1.7}^{+3.0}× 10^{37} W, and a lobe magnetic field strength below equipartition at the 8σ level. The integrated spectra of restarted and intermittent radio sources are found to yield a `steep-shallow' shape when the previous outburst occurred within 100 Myr. The duty-cycle of B2 0924+30 is hence constrained to be δ < 0.15 by fitting the shortest time to the previous comparable outburst that does not appreciably modify the remnant spectrum. The time-averaged feedback energy imparted by AGNs into their host galaxy environments can in this manner be quantified.

  16. Supernova remnant S 147 and its associated neutron star(s)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    2006-07-01

    The supernova remnant S 147 harbors the pulsar PSR J 0538+2817 whose characteristic age is more than an order of magnitude greater than the kinematic age of the system (inferred from the angular offset of the pulsar from the geometric center of the supernova remnant and the pulsar proper motion). To reconcile this discrepancy we propose that PSR J 0538+2817 could be the stellar remnant of the first supernova explosion in a massive binary system and therefore could be as old as its characteristic age. Our proposal implies that S 147 is the diffuse remnant of the second supernova explosion (that disrupted the binary system) and that a much younger second neutron star (not necessarily manifesting itself as a radio pulsar) should be associated with S 147. We use the existing observational data on the system to suggest that the progenitor of the supernova that formed S 147 was a Wolf-Rayet star (so that the supernova explosion occurred within a wind bubble surrounded by a massive shell) and to constrain the parameters of the binary system. We also restrict the magnitude and direction of the kick velocity received by the young neutron star at birth and find that the kick vector should not strongly deviate from the orbital plane of the binary system.

  17. Verifying occulter deployment tolerances as part of NASA's technology development for exoplanet missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasdin, N. J.; Lisman, D.; Shaklan, S.; Thomson, M.; Webb, D.; Cady, E.; Marks, G. W.; Lo, A.

    2013-09-01

    An external occulter is a satellite employing a large screen, or starshade, that flies in formation with a spaceborne telescope to provide the starlight suppression needed for detecting and characterizing exoplanets. Among the advantages of using an occulter are the broadband allowed for characterization and the removal of light before entering the observatory, greatly relaxing the requirements on the telescope and instrument. In support of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program and the Technology Development for Exoplanet Missions (TDEM), we recently completed a 2 year study of the manufacturability and metrology of starshade petals. In this paper we review the results of that successful first TDEM which demonstrated an occulter petal could be built and measured to an accuracy consistent with close to 10-10 contrast. We then present the results of our second TDEM to demonstrate the next critical technology milestone: precision deployment of the central truss and petals to the necessary accuracy. We show the deployment of an existing deployable truss outfitted with four sub-scale petals and a custom designed central hub.

  18. Remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that elevated nonfasting remnant cholesterol is a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease independent of reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.......The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that elevated nonfasting remnant cholesterol is a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease independent of reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol....

  19. Mucocele of the cystic duct remnant after orthotopic liver transplant: a problem revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Suvadip; Das, Debasish; Hudson, Mark; Bassendine, Margaret Fiona; Scott, John; Oppong, Kofi Ernest; Sen, Gourab; French, Jeremy J

    2011-06-01

    Mucocele of the cystic duct remnant is an uncommon hepatobiliary complication of a liver transplant. Current practice usually involves either excising the cystic duct, or incorporating the distal end of the transected cystic duct into the suture line of the biliary anastomosis to ensure drainage. We report a patient who developed cystic duct remnant mucocele after the latter approach was adopted. We believe that this is likely related to delayed anastomotic stricturing, which prevented draining from the remnant cystic duct. We also discuss the incidence, pathology, investigations, and treatment of this condition.

  20. Numerical code for fitting radial emission profile of a shell supernova remnant: Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Opsenica Slobodan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We present IDL (Interactive Data Language codes for fitting a theoretical emission profile of a shell supernova remnant (SNR to the mean profile of an SNR obtained from radio observations. Two considered theoretical models are: 1 a shell with constant emissivity and 2 a synchrotron shell with radially aligned magnetic field. The codes were applied to several observed supernova remnants. Good results are obtained in five considered cases, which justify the use of our code for remnants that are bright (so that observational errors are not large and spherically symmetric enough.

  1. Estimation of Remnant Dentin Thickness under Proximal Caries Using Digital Bitewing Radiography: An In-Vitro Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoomeh Afsa

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: In restorative dentistry, it is essential to estimate the amount of remnant tooth structure after caries removal to make the best treatment plan. The present study was aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between the real thickness of remnant dentin under carious lesion and the radiographical measurement from photostimulable phosphor plates (PSPs. Methods: a whole number of 68 unrestored permanent human molar and premolar teeth with 82 proximal carious surfaces were mounted in an artificial arch. Digital bitewing radiographs with PSPs were taken, carious lesions were removed and radiographic imaging was repeated. Teeth were sectioned mesiodistally in two parts and thickness of remnant tooth structure to pulp was measured. Measurements of remnant dentin under caries from radiographic images and teeth structures were compared. Result: The mean measurements of remnant dentin on primary radiographs were statistically different from the measurements on teeth structures. The mean thickness of remnant dentin on tooth structure was around 30% less than what measured on radiographic image. Conclusion: The real thickness of remnant dentin under caries is about 70% of its thickness measured on digital bitewing radiographs prepared by PSPs as image receptor.

  2. Paraneoplastic retinopathy associated with occult bladder cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nivean, M; Muttuvelu, Danson V; Afzelius, Pia Maria Tullia

    2016-01-01

    (ERG), serology including serum antibodies for CAR, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. The patient was diagnosed with bladder carcinoma revealed by PET-CT. Timely recognition of this entity may be crucial for an increased patient survival thus adult onset progressive...... photoreceptor dysfunction, confirmed by ERG, should alert to a possible remote effect of known or occult malignancy. In the latter, PET-CT may be exploited as a powerful diagnostic tool....

  3. Protocol for thyroid remnant ablation after recombinant TSH in thyroid carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitoia, F.; Salvai, M.E.; Niepomniszcze, H.; Tamer, E. El

    2009-01-01

    In some countries, in order to perform rhTSH-aided thyroid remnant ablation (TRA) after surgery, it is generally necessary to confirm that thyroidectomy has been almost complete. Otherwise, the nuclear medicine specialist will not administer a high radioiodine dose because it might be hazardous due to the possibility of thyroid remnant actinic thyroiditis. Considering this, it would be necessary to use two rhTSH kits (one for diagnostic purposes and the other one to administer the 131 I dose). In this study, we used an alternative protocol for TRA with the use of one kit of rhTSH in twenty patients diagnosed with low risk papillary thyroid carcinoma. All patients had negative titers of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. Successful thyroid remnant ablation was confirmed with an undetectable rhTSH stimulated thyroglobulin level ( [es

  4. Occult microscopic endometriosis: undetectable by laparoscopy in normal peritoneum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Khaleque Newaz; Fujishita, Akira; Kitajima, Michio; Hiraki, Koichi; Nakashima, Masahiro; Masuzaki, Hideaki

    2014-03-01

    Is there any occurrence of hidden (occult) endometriotic lesions in normal peritoneum of women with and without visible endometriosis? We detected a slightly higher occurrence of occult microscopic endometriosis (OME) in normal peritoneum of women with visible endometriosis than in control women. Based on a small number of cases, the concept of invisible microscopic endometriosis in visually normal peritoneum has been reported for more than a decade but there is controversy regarding their tissue activity and clinical significance. This case-controlled research study was conducted with prospectively collected normal peritoneal samples from 151 women with and 62 women without visible endometriosis. Normal peritoneal biopsy specimens from different pelvic sites of were collected during laparoscopy. A histological search of all peritoneal biopsy specimens for the detection of invisible endometriosis was done by immunoreaction to Ber-EP4 (epithelial cell marker), CD10 (stromal cell marker) and Calretinin (mesothelial cell marker). Tissue expression of estrogen/progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and cell proliferation marker, Ki-67, was performed by immunohistochemistry to identify tissue activity. Three different patterns of OME were detected based on (I) the presence of typical gland/stroma, (II) reactive hyperplastic change of endometrioid epithelial cells with surrounding stroma and (III) single-layered epithelium-lined cystic lesions with surrounding stroma. A higher tendency toward the occurrence of OME was found in women with visible endometriosis (15.2%, 23/151) compared with control women (6.4%, 4/62) (P = 0.06, χ(2) test). The epithelial cells and/or stromal cells of OME lesions were immunoreactive to Ber-EP4 and CD10 but not reactive to Calretinin. ER and PR expression was observed in all patterns of OME lesions. Ki-67 index was significantly higher in pattern I/II OME lesions than in pattern III OME lesions (Pendometriosis due to the presence of adhesions in

  5. Male occult triple-negative breast cancer with dermatomyositis: a case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang L

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Le Zhang,1 Chenghua Zhang,2 Zhaoying Yang,1 Miao He,3 Lijuan Zhang,1 Shereen Ezzat,4 Xi Liang5 1Department of Breast Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China; 2Endoscopy Department, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, Jilin,China; 3Department of Anesthesia, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China; 4Ontario Cancer Institute and The Endocrine Oncology Site Group, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 5Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China Abstract: Occult breast cancer is defined by the presence of axillary metastases without an identifiable primary breast tumor. Here, we report a rare case of a male occult breast cancer with dermatomyositis. We performed a modified radical mastectomy consisting of whole breast mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. Immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization analyses demonstrated an adenocarcinoma likely of breast origin, which was an occult triple-negative breast cancer. Interestingly, the patient’s previously noted periorbital dermatomyositis resolved promptly following surgical excision. Keywords: male breast cancer, occult breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, dermato­myositis 

  6. Occult Metabolic Bone Disease in Chronic Pancreatitis | Hari Kumar ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) leads to malabsorption and metabolic bone disease (MBD). Alcoholic CP (ACP) and tropical CP (TCP) are the two common types of CP. Objective: We investigated the presence of occult MBD in patients with CP and compared the same between ACP and TCP. Materials and Methods: ...

  7. Dynamics of supernova remnants in the Galactic centre.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bortolas, E.; Mapelli, M.; Spera, M.

    The Galactic centre (GC) is a unique place to study the extreme dynamical processes occurring near a super-massive black hole (SMBH). Here we simulate a large set of binaries orbiting the SMBH while the primary member undergoes a supernova (SN) explosion, in order to study the impact of SN kicks on the orbits of stars and dark remnants in the GC. We find that SN explosions are efficient in scattering neutron stars and other light stars on new (mostly eccentric) orbits, while black holes (BHs) tend to retain memory of the orbit of their progenitor star. SN kicks are thus unable to eject BHs from the GC: a cusp of dark remnants may be lurking in the central parsec of our Galaxy.

  8. The ionosphere of Europa from Galileo radio occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kliore, A. J.; Hinson, D. P.; Flasar, F. M.; Nagy, A. F.; Cravens, T. E.

    1997-01-01

    The Galileo spacecraft performed six radio occultation observations of Jupiter's Galilean satellite Europa during its tour of the jovian system. In five of the six instances, these occultations revealed the presence of a tenuous ionosphere on Europa, with an average maximum electron density of nearly 10(4) per cubic centimeter near the surface and a plasma scale height of about 240 +/- 40 kilometers from the surface to 300 kilometers and of 440 +/- 60 kilometers above 300 kilometers. Such an ionosphere could be produced by solar photoionization and jovian magnetospheric particle impact in an atmosphere having a surface density of about 10(8) electrons per cubic centimeter. If this atmosphere is composed primarily of O2, then the principal ion is O2+ and the neutral atmosphere temperature implied by the 240-kilometer scale height is about 600 kelvin. If it is composed of H2O, the principal ion is H3O+ and the neutral temperature is about 340 kelvin. In either case, these temperatures are much higher than those observed on Europa's surface, and an external heating source from the jovian magnetosphere is required.

  9. Observing Tropospheric Water Vapor by Radio Occultation using the Global Positioning System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kursinski, E. R.; Hajj, G. A.; Hardy, K. R.; Romans, L. J.; Schofield, J. T.

    1995-01-01

    Given the importance of water vapor to weather, climate and hydrology, global humidity observations from satellites are critical. At low latitudes, radio occultation observations of Earth's atmosphere using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites allow water vapor profiles to be retrieved with accuracies of 10 to 20% below 6 to 7 km altitude and approx. 5% or better within the boundary layer. GPS observations provide a unique combination of accuracy, vertical resolution (less than or equal to 1 km) and insensitivity to cloud and aerosol particles that is well suited to observations of the lower troposphere. These characteristics combined with the inherent stability of radio occultation observations make it an excellent candidate for the measurement of long term trends.

  10. Photometry of occultation candidate stars. I - Uranus 1985 and Saturn 1985-1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, L. M.; Morales, G.; Dalton, A. S.; Klavetter, J. J.; Conner, S. R.

    1985-01-01

    Photometric observations of five stars to be occulted by the rings around Uranus are presented. The four stars to be occulted by Saturn or its rings during the period 1985-1991 were also observed. The observations were carried out with a CCD detector attached to the Kitt Peak McGraw-Hill 1.30-m telescope. Landolt standards of widely ranging V-I color indices were used to determine the extinction coefficients, transformation coefficients, and zero points of the stars. Mean extinction coefficients are given for each night of observation. K magnitudes for each star were estimated on the basis of the results of Johnson (1967). The complete photometric data set is given in a series of tables.

  11. Molecular and serological detection of occult hepatitis B virus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    hepatitis B surface antigen-negative blood donors in Malaysia. ... Objective: This study aimed to detect occult hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface .... of the standard HBV-positive serum and the detection ... in general population ranges from 1.5 to 9.8% but report- .... Putra, Malaysia for their financial support of this research.

  12. DEM L241, A SUPERNOVA REMNANT CONTAINING A HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seward, F. D.; Charles, P. A.; Foster, D. L.; Dickel, J. R.; Romero, P. S.; Edwards, Z. I.; Perry, M.; Williams, R. M.

    2012-01-01

    A Chandra observation of the Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnant DEM L241 reveals an interior unresolved source which is probably an accretion-powered binary. The optical counterpart is an O5III(f) star making this a high-mass X-ray binary with an orbital period likely to be of the order of tens of days. Emission from the remnant interior is thermal and spectral information is used to derive density and mass of the hot material. Elongation of the remnant is unusual and possible causes of this are discussed. The precursor star probably had mass >25 M ☉

  13. DEM L241, A SUPERNOVA REMNANT CONTAINING A HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seward, F. D. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Charles, P. A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Foster, D. L. [South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, Observatory 7935, Cape Town (South Africa); Dickel, J. R.; Romero, P. S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, 1919 Lomas Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States); Edwards, Z. I.; Perry, M.; Williams, R. M. [Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Columbus State University, Coca Cola Space Science Center, 701 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901 (United States)

    2012-11-10

    A Chandra observation of the Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnant DEM L241 reveals an interior unresolved source which is probably an accretion-powered binary. The optical counterpart is an O5III(f) star making this a high-mass X-ray binary with an orbital period likely to be of the order of tens of days. Emission from the remnant interior is thermal and spectral information is used to derive density and mass of the hot material. Elongation of the remnant is unusual and possible causes of this are discussed. The precursor star probably had mass >25 M {sub Sun}.

  14. Effect of adhesive remnant removal on enamel topography after bracket debonding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa Adrian Meira Cardoso

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: At orthodontic treatment completion, knowledge about the effects of adhesive remnant removal on enamel is paramount.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the effect of different adhesive remnant removal methods on enamel topography (ESI and surface roughness (Ra after bracket debonding and polishing.METHODS: A total of 50 human premolars were selected and divided into five groups according to the method used for adhesive remnant removal: high speed tungsten carbide bur (TCB, Sof-Lex discs (SL, adhesive removing plier (PL, ultrasound (US and Fiberglass burs (FB. Metal brackets were bonded with Transbond XT, stored at 37oC for 24 hours before debonding with adhesive removing plier. Subsequently, removal methods were carried out followed by polishing with pumice paste. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted with pre-bonding, post-debonding and post-polishing analyses. Results were submitted to statistical analysis with F test (ANOVA and Tukey's (Ra as well as with Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests (ESI (P < 0.05.RESULTS: US Ra and ESI were significantly greater than TCB, SL, PL and FB. Polishing minimized Ra and ESI in the SL and FB groups.CONCLUSION: Adhesive remnant removal with SL and FB associated with polishing are recommended due to causing little damage to the enamel.

  15. Numerical Simulations of Supernova Remnant Evolution in a Cloudy Interstellar Medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slavin, Jonathan D.; Smith, Randall K.; Foster, Adam; Winter, Henry D.; Raymond, John C.; Slane, Patrick O. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Yamaguchi, Hiroya, E-mail: jslavin@cfa.harvard.edu [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2017-09-01

    The mixed morphology class of supernova remnants has centrally peaked X-ray emission along with a shell-like morphology in radio emission. White and Long proposed that these remnants are evolving in a cloudy medium wherein the clouds are evaporated via thermal conduction once being overrun by the expanding shock. Their analytical model made detailed predictions regarding temperature, density, and emission profiles as well as shock evolution. We present numerical hydrodynamical models in 2D and 3D including thermal conduction, testing the White and Long model and presenting results for the evolution and emission from remnants evolving in a cloudy medium. We find that, while certain general results of the White and Long model hold, such as the way the remnants expand and the flattening of the X-ray surface brightness distribution, in detail there are substantial differences. In particular we find that the X-ray luminosity is dominated by emission from shocked cloud gas early on, leading to a bright peak, which then declines and flattens as evaporation becomes more important. In addition, the effects of thermal conduction on the intercloud gas, which is not included in the White and Long model, are important and lead to further flattening of the X-ray brightness profile as well as lower X-ray emission temperatures.

  16. AN X-RAY AND RADIO STUDY OF THE VARYING EXPANSION VELOCITIES IN TYCHO’S SUPERNOVA REMNANT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Brian J. [CRESST/USRA and X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA GSFC, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD, Code 662 (United States); Chomiuk, Laura [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Hewitt, John W. [University of North Florida, Department of Physics, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224 (United States); Blondin, John M.; Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Reynolds, Stephen P. [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Ghavamian, Parviz [Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252 (United States); Petre, Robert, E-mail: brian.j.williams@nasa.gov [NASA GSFC, X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2016-06-01

    We present newly obtained X-ray and radio observations of Tycho’s supernova remnant using Chandra and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in 2015 and 2013/14, respectively. When combined with earlier epoch observations by these instruments, we now have time baselines for expansion measurements of the remnant of 12–15 years in the X-rays and 30 years in the radio. The remnant’s large angular size allows for proper motion measurements at many locations around the periphery of the blast wave. Consistent with earlier measurements, we find a clear gradient in the expansion velocity of the remnant, despite its round shape. The proper motions on the western and southwestern sides of the remnant are about a factor of two higher than those in the east and northeast. We showed in an earlier work that this is related to an offset of the explosion site from the geometric center of the remnant due to a density gradient in the ISM, and using our refined measurements reported here, we find that this offset is ∼23″ toward the northeast. An explosion center offset in such a circular remnant has implications for searches for progenitor companions in other remnants.

  17. Do X-ray-occult fractures play a role in chronic pain following a whiplash injury?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertzum-Larsen, Rasmus; Petersen, Henrik; Kasch, Helge

    2014-01-01

    symptoms following an MVA was invited to have a cervical SPECT shortly post injury and again 6 months later. Associations between occult fractures and pain levels at baseline, 6 and 12 months of follow-up were analyzed. Eighty-eight patients had baseline SPECT performed at median 15 days (range 3-28) post......Whiplash trauma in motor vehicle accidents (MVA) may involve various painful soft tissue damages, but weeks/months later a minority of victims still suffers from various long-lasting and disabling symptoms, whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). The etiology is currently unknown, but X......-ray-occult fractures may be one cause in some cases. The purpose of this prospective study was to examine the association between occult fractures, as seen on bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), with neck-, head- and arm pain. An inception cohort of 107 patients presenting with acute whiplash...

  18. Partial Splenectomy in the treatment of an adult with β thalassemia intermedia: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correia, João Guardado; Moreira, Nídia; Costa Almeida, Carlos Eduardo; Reis, Luís Simões

    2017-01-01

    Thalassemia is a common disease which treatment is often based on splenectomy. The risks associated with total splenectomy stimulated partial splenectomy as a potentially alternative therapy. A 45 year-old female patient with long term follow-up for β thalassemia intermedia started to develop signs of hypersplenism and iron overload. A partial splenectomy was performed and was observed a marked hematologic improvement while preserving the desired splenic function. Partial splenectomy proved to provide a persistent decrease in hemolytic rate while preserving the integrity of splenic phagocytic function, presenting itself as an effective alternative to total splenectomy. After being subjected to partial splenectomy, our patient experienced a sustained control of hemolysis and showed no signs of hypersplenism or iron overload. No splenic regrowth or infectious complications were observed. The major drawbacks of partial splenectomy are the increased risk of intra- and postoperative bleeding, splenic remnant torsion and splenic regrowth. Partial splenectomy is an alternative to total splenectomy for the treatment of adult β Thalassemia intermedia patients avoiding the risks associated with total splenectomy.

  19. Optical pulsations in the Large Magellanic Cloud remnant 0540-69.3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Middleditch, J.; Pennypacker, C.

    1985-01-01

    The X-ray pulsar PSR0540-693 was discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) supernova remnant, 0540-69.3, as a pulse, with repetition period approx. 50 ms, in Einstein Observatory data. Previous workers had noted that this remnant resembles the Crab Nebula because of the X-ray power law spectrum and suggested that the nebular emission was synchrotron radiation powered by a central pulsar. After the announcement of X-ray pulsed emission, other workers measured the broad optical band properties of the nebula and found evidence for synchrotron emission; and reported that the 4.5-arc s continuum emission remnant has only a tenth of the luminosity of the Crab Nebula. The authors have now detected pulsed optical emission for the X-ray pulsar, having a time-averaged magnitude of approx. 22.7. (author)

  20. [Management of occult malformations at the lateral skull base].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryson, E; Draf, W; Hofmann, E; Bockmühl, U

    2005-12-01

    Occult malformations of the lateral skull base are rare anomalies, but can cause severe complications such as recurrent meningitis. Therefore, they need to be precisely delineated and sufficient surgical closure is mandatory. Between 1986 and 2004 twenty patients (10 children and 10 adults) with occult malformations at the lateral skull base were treated surgically at the ENT-Department of the Hospital Fulda gAG. Of these 3 Mondini-malformations, 11 defects of the tegmen tympani or the mastoidal roof, 2 dural lesions to the posterior fossa and 4 malformations within the pyramidal apex have been found. Four patients have had multiple anomalies. Routing symptom was in all cases at least one previous meningitis. Radiological diagnostics included high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as CT- or MR-cisternography. Depending on type and localisation of the defect the following surgical algorithm was carried out: The trans-mastoidal approach was used in all cases of Mondini-malformation (including obliteration of the ear), in case of lesions to the posterior fossa as well as partly in anomalies at the tegmen tympani and mastoidal roof, respectively. Defects of the pyramidal apex should be explored via the trans-mastoidal way if the lesion is located caudally to the inner auditory canal (IAC), whereas the trans-temporal approach should be used if the lesion is situated ventral to the IAC and dorso-medially to the internal carotid artery (ICA). The trans-temporal approach was also performed in large defects of the tegmen tympani and mastoidal roof as well as in recurrences. In all cases of recurrent meningitis caused by agents of the upper airway tract the basic principle should be to search for occult skull base malformations radiologically as well as by sodium fluorescein endoscopy as long as the anomaly is detected.

  1. The presence of dysplastic nevus remnants in malignant melanomas. A population-based study of 551 malignant melanomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastrup, N; Osterlind, A; Drzewiecki, K T; Hou-Jensen, K

    1991-08-01

    We examined 512 malignant melanomas, representing all newly diagnosed cutaneous malignant melanomas, excluding lentigo maligna melanomas, from the period October 1, 1982 to March 31, 1985 occurring in the region of eastern Denmark in patients aged 20-79 years for the presence of dysplastic nevus remnants. Criteria for the diagnosis of a dysplastic nevus remnant include all the following changes (a) lentiginous or epithelioid melanocyte hyperplasia, (b) cytologic melanocyte atypia, (c) eosinophilic fibroplasia, (d) lamellar fibroplasia, and (e) lymphocytic infiltration in the dermis. Dysplastic nevus remnants were found in association with 34 (7%) of the evaluable 512 malignant melanomas. Fourteen (41%) of the remnants were of compound nevus type. In nine (27%) of the remnants, atypia was pronounced. Most (62%) dysplastic nevus remnants were contiguous to thin superficial spreading melanomas. We conclude from this population-based study that about 7% of malignant melanomas arise in prior dysplastic nevi.

  2. Prevalence of Visible and Occult Blood on the Surfaces of Fiberoptic Bronchoscopes

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McKamey, Jeffrey

    2000-01-01

    .... This study was conducted to determine if current cleaning, disinfection and sterilization procedures used at one medical center was adequate to remove visible and occult blood from fiberoptic bronchoscopes...

  3. Occult Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of Breast Detected by Stomach Metastasis: A Case Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    KIm, So Jung; Jung, Hae Kyoung; Ko, Kyung Hee; Yoon, Jung Hyun

    2012-01-01

    Gastric metastasis from primary breast cancer is a rare phenomenon that is more prevalent in the invasive lobular type of breast cancer. We describe a very rare case of occult invasive lobular cancer of the breast detected by the initial presentation of gastric metastasis in a patient without a history of breast cancer. A 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) which showed increased FDG uptake in the stomach, abdominal mesentery and the right breast, and played pivotal roles in the detection of occult primary breast cancer and a diagnosis of gastric metastasis as an ancillary method for obtaining histological results and immunohistochemical stains.

  4. Occult Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of Breast Detected by Stomach Metastasis: A Case Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    KIm, So Jung; Jung, Hae Kyoung; Ko, Kyung Hee; Yoon, Jung Hyun [Dept. of Radiology, Bundang CHA general Hospital, CHA University College of Medicine, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-02-15

    Gastric metastasis from primary breast cancer is a rare phenomenon that is more prevalent in the invasive lobular type of breast cancer. We describe a very rare case of occult invasive lobular cancer of the breast detected by the initial presentation of gastric metastasis in a patient without a history of breast cancer. A 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) which showed increased FDG uptake in the stomach, abdominal mesentery and the right breast, and played pivotal roles in the detection of occult primary breast cancer and a diagnosis of gastric metastasis as an ancillary method for obtaining histological results and immunohistochemical stains.

  5. Hot gas in the interstellar medium, from supernova remnants to the diffuse coronal phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballet, Jean

    1988-01-01

    This research thesis addresses the study of the hot interstellar medium and of its main component, supernovae remnants. The author studied the hypothesis according to which ions observed in the interstellar medium are produced during the evaporation of cold clouds in the coronal phase. He shows that effects of ionisation delay are important and modify by a factor 10 the total quantity of ions predicted by the model. The study of the influence on ionisation of hot electrons penetrating cold layers revealed that this effect is rather weak. Then, based on the observation of the Kepler supernovae remnants by means of EXOSAT, and on the use of a hydrodynamics code coupled with a step-by-step calculation of ionisation of elements, the author studied the evolution of young supernovae remnants: propagation of the main shock in the interstellar medium, and of the backlash in the matter ejected by the star. The author also studied the X emission of an older supernovae remnant (the Cygnus Loop) by analysing three EXOSAT observations of this remnant. Results of Fabry-Perot spectrophotometry have been used to study optic lines [fr

  6. Tagging partially reconstructed objects with jet substructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freytsis, Marat, E-mail: freytsis@uoregon.edu [Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States); Volansky, Tomer [Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Walsh, Jonathan R. [Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2017-06-10

    We present a new tagger which aims at identifying partially reconstructed objects, in which only some of the constituents are collected in a single jet. As an example, we focus on top decays in which either part of the hadronically decaying W or the b jet is soft or falls outside of the top jet cone. We construct an observable to identify remnant substructure from the decay and employ aggressive jet grooming to reject QCD backgrounds. The tagger is complementary to existing ones and works well in the intermediate boost regime where jet substructure techniques usually fail. It is anticipated that a similar tagger can be used to identify non-QCD hadronic jets, such as those expected from hidden valleys.

  7. Tagging partially reconstructed objects with jet substructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freytsis, Marat; Volansky, Tomer; Walsh, Jonathan R.

    2017-01-01

    We present a new tagger which aims at identifying partially reconstructed objects, in which only some of the constituents are collected in a single jet. As an example, we focus on top decays in which either part of the hadronically decaying W or the b jet is soft or falls outside of the top jet cone. We construct an observable to identify remnant substructure from the decay and employ aggressive jet grooming to reject QCD backgrounds. The tagger is complementary to existing ones and works well in the intermediate boost regime where jet substructure techniques usually fail. It is anticipated that a similar tagger can be used to identify non-QCD hadronic jets, such as those expected from hidden valleys.

  8. Tagging partially reconstructed objects with jet substructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freytsis, Marat; Volansky, Tomer; Walsh, Jonathan R.

    2017-06-01

    We present a new tagger which aims at identifying partially reconstructed objects, in which only some of the constituents are collected in a single jet. As an example, we focus on top decays in which either part of the hadronically decaying W or the b jet is soft or falls outside of the top jet cone. We construct an observable to identify remnant substructure from the decay and employ aggressive jet grooming to reject QCD backgrounds. The tagger is complementary to existing ones and works well in the intermediate boost regime where jet substructure techniques usually fail. It is anticipated that a similar tagger can be used to identify non-QCD hadronic jets, such as those expected from hidden valleys.

  9. Image guidance improves localization of sonographically occult colorectal liver metastases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Universe; Simpson, Amber L.; Adams, Lauryn B.; Jarnagin, William R.; Miga, Michael I.; Kingham, T. Peter

    2015-03-01

    Assessing the therapeutic benefit of surgical navigation systems is a challenging problem in image-guided surgery. The exact clinical indications for patients that may benefit from these systems is not always clear, particularly for abdominal surgery where image-guidance systems have failed to take hold in the same way as orthopedic and neurosurgical applications. We report interim analysis of a prospective clinical trial for localizing small colorectal liver metastases using the Explorer system (Path Finder Technologies, Nashville, TN). Colorectal liver metastases are small lesions that can be difficult to identify with conventional intraoperative ultrasound due to echogeneity changes in the liver as a result of chemotherapy and other preoperative treatments. Interim analysis with eighteen patients shows that 9 of 15 (60%) of these occult lesions could be detected with image guidance. Image guidance changed intraoperative management in 3 (17%) cases. These results suggest that image guidance is a promising tool for localization of small occult liver metastases and that the indications for image-guided surgery are expanding.

  10. The use of MRI and CT in Imaging Occult Hip Fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Obadă B.

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Diagnosis of hip fractures is particularly important due to the high dependence on the integrity of this structure for people to function in their daily lives. Left unrecognized, patients face increasing morbidity and mortality as time from the original injury lengthens. A delay of just 2 days in surgical treatment for an acute hip fracture doubles mortality. In addition, an unrecognized non-displaced fracture may displace, requiring surgery of much higher risk. This may be part of the reason that the most frequent lawsuit against Emergency Physicians is for missed orthopedic injury. We reviewed the use of MRI and CT for occult hip fractures (OHF detection at a major urban trauma unit. Our study is a retrospective review. Inclusion criteria: all patients presenting to the Emergency Clinical Hospital of Constanta with a suspected, posttraumatic, occult hip fracture, over a 5 years period were included. All patients had negative initial radiographs and underwent further imaging with either CT or MRI. A total of 185 cases meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. 72 occult hip fractures were detected with both imaging modalities. Although MRI certainly enables greater image detail, in our experience both modalities are able to provide satisfactory fracture characterization. The choice of imaging should be determined by availability and indication. MRI provides superior imaging of soft tissue but is less sensitive for degenerative changes in presence of bone edema.

  11. Search and modelling of remnant radio galaxies in the LOFAR Lockman Hole field

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brienza, M.; Godfrey, L.; Morganti, R.; Prandoni, I.; Harwood, J.; Mahony, E. K.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Murgia, M.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Shimwell, T. W.; Shulevski, A.

    2017-01-01

    Context. The phase of radio galaxy evolution after the jets have switched off, often referred to as the remnant phase, is poorly understood and very few sources in this phase are known. Aims: In this work we present an extensive search for remnant radio galaxies in the Lockman Hole, a well-studied

  12. Agricultural intensification exacerbates spillover effects on soil biogeochemistry in adjacent forest remnants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael K Didham

    Full Text Available Land-use intensification is a central element in proposed strategies to address global food security. One rationale for accepting the negative consequences of land-use intensification for farmland biodiversity is that it could 'spare' further expansion of agriculture into remaining natural habitats. However, in many regions of the world the only natural habitats that can be spared are fragments within landscapes dominated by agriculture. Therefore, land-sparing arguments hinge on land-use intensification having low spillover effects into adjacent protected areas, otherwise net conservation gains will diminish with increasing intensification. We test, for the first time, whether the degree of spillover from farmland into adjacent natural habitats scales in magnitude with increasing land-use intensity. We identified a continuous land-use intensity gradient across pastoral farming systems in New Zealand (based on 13 components of farmer input and soil biogeochemistry variables, and measured cumulative off-site spillover effects of fertilisers and livestock on soil biogeochemistry in 21 adjacent forest remnants. Ten of 11 measured soil properties differed significantly between remnants and intact-forest reference sites, for both fenced and unfenced remnants, at both edge and interior. For seven variables, the magnitude of effects scaled significantly with magnitude of surrounding land-use intensity, through complex interactions with fencing and edge effects. In particular, total C, total N, δ15N, total P and heavy-metal contaminants of phosphate fertilizers (Cd and U increased significantly within remnants in response to increasing land-use intensity, and these effects were exacerbated in unfenced relative to fenced remnants. This suggests movement of livestock into surrounding natural habitats is a significant component of agricultural spillover, but pervasive changes in soil biogeochemistry still occur through nutrient spillover channels alone

  13. Search for Nonthermal X-Rays from Supernova Remnant Shells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petre, R.; Keohane, J.; Hwang, U.; Allen, G.; Gotthelf, E.

    The demonstration by ASCA that the nonthermal X-ray emission from the rim of SN1006 is synchrotron emission from TeV electrons, produced in the same environment responsible for cosmic ray protons and nuclei (Koyama et al. 1995, Nature 378, 255), has stimulated a search for nonthermal X-rays from other remnants. Nonthermal emission has subsequently been found to arise in the shells of at least two other remnants, Cas A and IC 443. In Cas A, a hard tail is detected using ASCA, XTE, and OSSE to energies exceeding 100 keV; the shape of the spectrum rules out all mechanisms except synchrotron radiation. In IC 443, the previously known hard emission has been shown using ASCA to be isolated to a small region along the rim of the remnant, where the shock is interacting most strongly with a molecular cloud. Nonthermal X-ray emission is thought to arise here by enhanced cosmic ray production associated with the shock/cloud interaction (Keohane et al. 1997, ApJ in press). We describe the properties of the nonthermal emission in SN1006, Cas A, and IC 443, and discuss the status of our search for nonthermal emission associated with the shocks of other Galactic and LMC SNR's.

  14. Analyzing Data Remnant Remains on User Devices to Determine Probative Artifacts in Cloud Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Abdulghani Ali; Xue Li, Chua

    2018-01-01

    Cloud storage service allows users to store their data online, so that they can remotely access, maintain, manage, and back up data from anywhere via the Internet. Although helpful, this storage creates a challenge to digital forensic investigators and practitioners in collecting, identifying, acquiring, and preserving evidential data. This study proposes an investigation scheme for analyzing data remnants and determining probative artifacts in a cloud environment. Using pCloud as a case study, this research collected the data remnants available on end-user device storage following the storing, uploading, and accessing of data in the cloud storage. Data remnants are collected from several sources, including client software files, directory listing, prefetch, registry, network PCAP, browser, and memory and link files. Results demonstrate that the collected remnants data are beneficial in determining a sufficient number of artifacts about the investigated cybercrime. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  15. Spatial patterns of whole brain grey and white matter injury in patients with occult spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Xuetao; Nie, Binbin; Wang, Hong; Duan, Shaofeng; Zhang, Zan; Dai, Guanghui; Ma, Qiaozhi; Shan, Baoci; Ma, Lin

    2014-01-01

    Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) is a common type of cerebral palsy (CP), which presents as a group of motor-impairment syndromes. Previous conventional MRI studies have reported abnormal structural changes in SDCP, such as periventricular leucomalacia. However, there are roughly 27.8% SDCP patients presenting normal appearance in conventional MRI, which were considered as occult SDCP. In this study, sixteen patients with occult SDCP and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were collected and the data were acquired on a 3T MR system. We applied voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis to investigate whole brain grey and white matter injury in occult SDCP. By using VBM method, the grey matter volume reduction was revealed in the bilateral basal ganglia regions, thalamus, insula, and left cerebral peduncle, whereas the white matter atrophy was found to be located in the posterior part of corpus callosum and right posterior corona radiata in the occult SDCP patients. By using TBSS, reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) values were detected in multiple white matter regions, including bilateral white matter tracts in prefrontal lobe, temporal lobe, internal and external capsule, corpus callosum, cingulum, thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum. Additionally, several regions of white matter tracts injury were found to be significantly correlated with motor dysfunction. These results collectively revealed the spatial patterns of whole brain grey and white matter injury in occult SDCP.

  16. Occulting Light Concentrators in Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buizza Avanzini, Margherita; Cabrera, Anatael; Dusini, Stefano; Grassi, Marco; He, Miao; Wu, Wenjie

    2017-09-01

    The experimental efforts characterizing the era of precision neutrino physics revolve around collecting high-statistics neutrino samples and attaining an excellent energy and position resolution. Next generation liquid-based neutrino detectors, such as JUNO, HyperKamiokande, etc, share the use of a large target mass, and the need of pushing light collection to the edge for maximal calorimetric information. Achieving high light collection implies considerable costs, especially when considering detector masses of several kt. A traditional strategy to maximize the effective photo-coverage with the minimum number of PMTs relies on Light Concentrators (LC), such as Winston Cones. In this paper, the authors introduce a novel concept called Occulting Light Concentrators (OLC), whereby a traditional LC gets tailored to a conventional PMT, by taking into account its single-photoelectron collection efficiency profile and thus occulting the worst performing portion of the photocathode. Thus, the OLC shape optimization takes into account not only the optical interface of the PMT, but also the maximization of the PMT detection performances. The light collection uniformity across the detector is another advantage of the OLC system. By considering the case of JUNO, we will show OLC capabilities in terms of light collection and energy resolution.

  17. Ex Luna Scientia: The Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Richard

    2017-01-01

    The Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX) is a next-generation mission concept that provides new capabilities for time-domain astrophysics and established the Moon as a platform for nuclear astrophysics. Performance requirements are driven by Type-Ia supernova (SNeIa) science goals that seek to revel details of these profoundly radioactive objects, including their diversity. Primary science objectives include, but are not limited to, probing the fundamental thermonuclear physics processes, performing a census of progenitors and their explosion mechanisms, and evaluating the environmental conditions and intrinsic systematics of these enigmatic objects. LOX provides new capabilities for all-sky, continuous monitoring in the MeV regime (0.1-10 MeV) by leveraging the Lunar Occultation Technique (LOT). Key benefits of the LOX/LOT approach include maximizing the ratio of sensitive-to-total deployed mass, low implementation risk, and demonstrated operational simplicity that leverages extensive experience with planetary orbital geochemistry investigations; LOX also enables long-term monitoring of MeV gamma-ray sources, a critical capability for SNeIa science. Proof-of-principle efforts validated all aspects of the mission using previously deployed lunar science assets, and led to the first high-energy gamma-ray source detected at the Moon. LOX mission performance, development progress, and expectations for science investigations will be presented.

  18. Detection of occult HBV infection by nested PCR assay among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) has been reported among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of OBI in chronic hepatitis C patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma. A total of 40 chronic hepatitis C patients ...

  19. THE 2011 JUNE 23 STELLAR OCCULTATION BY PLUTO: AIRBORNE AND GROUND OBSERVATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Person, M. J.; Bosh, A. S.; Levine, S. E.; Gulbis, A. A. S.; Zangari, A. M.; Zuluaga, C. A.; Sallum, S. [Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Dunham, E. W.; Collins, P.; Bida, T.; Bright, L. [Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ (United States); Pasachoff, J. M.; Babcock, B. A.; Pandey, S.; Amrhein, D. [Williams College-Hopkins Observatory, Williamstown, MA (United States); Tholen, D. J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI (United States); Taylor, B. [Boston University, Boston, MA (United States); Wolf, J.; Pfueller, E. [Deutsches SOFIA Institut, Universitaet Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 29, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Meyer, A., E-mail: mjperson@mit.edu [SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 211-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); and others

    2013-10-01

    On 2011 June 23, stellar occultations by both Pluto (this work) and Charon (future analysis) were observed from numerous ground stations as well as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This first airborne occultation observation since 1995 with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory resulted in the best occultation chords recorded for the event, in three visible wavelength bands. The data obtained from SOFIA are combined with chords obtained from the ground at the IRTF, the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, and Leeward Community College to give the detailed state of the Pluto-Charon system at the time of the event with a focus on Pluto's atmosphere. The data show a return to the distinct upper and lower atmospheric regions with a knee or kink in the light curve separating them as was observed in 1988, rather than the smoothly transitioning bowl-shaped light curves of recent years. The upper atmosphere is analyzed by fitting a model to all of the light curves, resulting in a half-light radius of 1288 {+-} 1 km. The lower atmosphere is analyzed using two different methods to provide results under the differing assumptions of particulate haze and a strong thermal gradient as causes for the lower atmospheric diminution of flux. These results are compared with those from past occultations to provide a picture of Pluto's evolving atmosphere. Regardless of which lower atmospheric structure is assumed, results indicate that this part of the atmosphere evolves on short timescales with results changing the light curve structures between 1988 and 2006, and then reverting these changes in 2011 though at significantly higher pressures. Throughout these changes, the upper atmosphere remains remarkably stable in structure, again except for the overall pressure changes. No evidence of onset of atmospheric collapse predicted by frost migration models is seen, and the atmosphere appears to be remaining at a stable pressure level, suggesting it

  20. X-Ray Emission Properties of Supernova Remnants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vink, J.; Alsabti, A.W.; Murdin, P.

    2016-01-01

    X-ray emission from supernova remnants can be broadly divided into thermal X-ray emission from the shock-heated plasmas and in nonthermal (synchrotron) emission caused by very high-energy (10–100 TeV) electrons moving in the magnetic fields of the hot plasmas. The thermal X-ray emission of young

  1. EXOTIC PLANTS IN THE CIBODAS BOTANIC GARDENS REMNANT FOREST: INVENTORY AND CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Decky Indrawan Junaedi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to potential impact of invasive alien (exotic species to the natural ecosystems, inventory of exotic species in the Cibodas Botanic Gardens (CBG remnant forest area is an urgent need for CBG. Inventory of exotic species can assist gardens manager to set priorities and plan better responses for possible or existed invasive plants in the CBG remnants forest. The objectives of this study are to do inventory of the exotic species in the CBG remnant forest and to determine whether several environmental variables play role to the existence of exotic species in the CBG remnant forests. There are 26 exotic plant species (23 genera, 14 families found and recorded from all four remnant forests in CBG. Cluster analysis of four environmental variables shows that clustering of environmental factors of exotic species correlates with the abundances of those exotic species. The relation between environmental factor clusters and the abundance of those exotics signify the role of environmental variables on the existence of exotic plant species. The information of exotic plant species in the remnants forest is the base information for gardens manager to manage exotic species in CBG remnants forest. The relation of several environmental factors with exotic species abundance could assist gardens manager to understand better the supportive and or suppressor factors of exotics in the CBG remnants forest. Further study on these species is needed to set priorities to decide which species should be treated first in order to minimize the impact of exotic plant species to native ecosystem of CBG.

  2. EXOTIC PLANTS IN THE CIBODAS BOTANIC GARDENS REMNANT FOREST: INVENTORY AND CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Decky Indrawan Junaedi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to potential impact of invasive alien (exotic species to the natural ecosystems, inventory of exotic species in the Cibodas Botanic Gardens (CBG remnant forest area is an urgent need for CBG. Inventory of exotic species can assist gardens manager to set priorities and plan better responses for possible or existed invasive plants in the CBG remnants forest. The objectives of this study are to do inventory of the exotic species in the CBG remnant forest and to determine whether several environmental variables play role to the existence of exotic species in the CBG remnant forests. There are 26 exotic plant species  (23 genera, 14 families found and recorded from all four remnant forests in CBG. Cluster analysis of four environmental variables shows that clustering of environmental factors of exotic species correlates with the abundances of those exotic species. The relation between environmental factor clusters and the abundance of those exotics signify the role of environmental variables on the existence of exotic plant species. The information of exotic plant species in the remnants forest is the base information for gardens manager to manage exotic species in CBG remnants forest. The relation of several environmental factors with exotic species abundance could assist gardens manager to understand better the supportive and or suppressor factors of exotics in the CBG remnants forest. Further study on these species is needed to set priorities to decide which species should be treated first in order to minimize the impact of exotic plant species to native ecosystem of CBG.

  3. Verify Occulter Deployment Tolerances as Part of NASA's Technology Development for Exoplanet Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasdin, N. J.; Shaklan, S.; Lisman, D.; Thomson, M.; Webb, D.; Cady, E.; Marks, G. W.; Lo, A.

    2013-01-01

    In support of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program and the Technology Development for Exoplanet Missions (TDEM), we recently completed a 2 year study of the manufacturability and metrology of starshade petals. An external occult is a satellite employing a large screen, or starshade, that flies in formation with a spaceborne telescope to provide the starlight suppression needed for detecting and characterizing exoplanets. Among the advantages of using an occulter are the broadband allowed for characterization and the removal of light before entering the observatory, greatly relaxing the requirements on the telescope and instrument. This poster presents the results of our successful first TDEM that demonstrated an occulter petal could be built and measured to an accuracy consistent with close to 10^-10 contrast. We also present the progress in our second TDEM to demonstrate the next critical technology milestone: precision deployment of the central truss and petals to the necessary accuracy. We have completed manufacture of four sub-scale petals and a central hub to fit with an existing deployable truss. We show the plans for repeated stow and deploy tests of the assembly and the metrology to confirm that each deploy repeatably meets the absolute positioning requirements of the petals (better than 1.0 mm).

  4. X-ray observations of two lunar occultations of the Crab Nebula

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ku, W.H.M.

    1976-01-01

    The x-ray source in the Crab nebula was observed during two lunar occultations. The combined results of the two scans of the nebula indicate that the spatial distribution of the X-ray flux from the nebula is centered on a region 10'' to 15'' NW of the pulsar. The half-intensity size, as measured by the FWHM of the best Gaussian representation of each strip flux distribution, is 46.7'' +- 1.5'' along p.a. = 300 0 , and is 42'' +- 2'' along p.a. = 255 0 . A closer examination of the size of the nebular emission region measured along p.a. = 300 0 reveals that the size decreases significantly with increasing photon energy. A power-law function with an exponent of γ = -0.148 +- 0.012 characterizes the optical (approximately 2 eV) to X-ray (approximately 50 keV) size measurements well, but it fails to predict the observed sizes of the radio nebula. Power-law spectral indices derived for different regions of the nebula support this finding. These results are interpreted in terms of existing theoretical models for the motion of electrons in the nebula. The data obtained on 28 December 1974 also provide strong evidence for the existence of a low-luminosity soft X-ray component more than 60'' W of the pulsar. Such emission was not detected in data from the first scan, but the upper limit derived from those data is consistent with the existence of a soft extended source. Several plausible explanations for the origin of this radiation are considered including the interesting possibility of thermal emission from a supernova remnant shell. Data obtained near the time of emergence of the pulsar for both observations are examined for possible flux contribution from a discrete steady radiation source. The null result allows an upper limit of 4.7 x 10 6 0 K (99 percent confidence) to be established on the surface temperature of the neutron star associated with NP 0532. This result is used to set limits on some physical parameters of a neutron star

  5. Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer with Occult Primary Treatment (PDQ®)—Patient Version

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary (unknown primary) treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, or a combination of both. Learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors in this expert-reviewed summary.

  6. Lunar occultation of the Galactic center at 2.2 microns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adams, D. J.; Becklin, E. E.; Jameson, R. F.; Longmore, A. J.; Sandqvist, Aa.; Valentijn, E.

    1988-01-01

    Results of the lunar occultation of IRS 16 on 1986 September 11 are reported. Sixty percent of the observed flux in a 6arcsec.5 beam comes from four discrete sources. Three sources are unresolved pointlike objects (<0arcsec.05) and are assumed to be individual stars. The fourth object is well

  7. Past and future of radio occultation studies of planetary atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshleman, Von R.; Hinson, David P.; Tyler, G. Leonard; Lindal, Gunnar F.

    1987-01-01

    Measurements of radio waves that have propagated through planetary atmospheres have provided exploratory results on atmospheric constituents, structure, dynamics, and ionization for Venus, Mars, Titan, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. Highlights of past results are reviewed in order to define and illustrate the potential of occultation and related radio studies in future planetary missions.

  8. Energy Dependence of Synchrotron X-Ray Rims in Tycho's Supernova Remnant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Aaron; Williams, Brian J.; Petre, Robert; Ressler, Sean M.; Reynolds, Stephen P.

    2015-01-01

    Several young supernova remnants exhibit thin X-ray bright rims of synchrotron radiation at their forward shocks. Thin rims require strong magnetic field amplification beyond simple shock compression if rim widths are only limited by electron energy losses. But, magnetic field damping behind the shock could produce similarly thin rims with less extreme field amplification. Variation of rim width with energy may thus discriminate between competing influences on rim widths. We measured rim widths around Tycho's supernova remnant in 5 energy bands using an archival 750 ks Chandra observation. Rims narrow with increasing energy and are well described by either loss-limited or damped scenarios, so X-ray rim width-energy dependence does not uniquely specify a model. But, radio counterparts to thin rims are not loss-limited and better reflect magnetic field structure. Joint radio and X-ray modeling favors magnetic damping in Tycho's SNR with damping lengths approximately 1-5% of remnant radius and magnetic field strengths approximately 50-400 micron G assuming Bohm diffusion. X-ray rim widths are approximately 1% of remnant radius, somewhat smaller than inferred damping lengths. Electron energy losses are important in all models of X-ray rims, suggesting that the distinction between loss-limited and damped models is blurred in soft X-rays. All loss-limited and damping models require magnetic fields approximately greater than 20 micron G, arming the necessity of magnetic field amplification beyond simple compression.

  9. 'Trick', 'manipulation' and 'farce': Albert Moll's critique of occultism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolffram, Heather

    2012-04-01

    In July 1925, the psychiatrist Albert Moll appeared before the district court in Berlin-Schöneberg charged with having defamed the medium Maria Vollhardt (alias Rudloff) in his 1924 book Der Spiritismus [Spiritism]. Supported by some of Berlin's most prominent occultists, the plaintiff--the medium's husband--argued that Moll's use of terms such as 'trick', 'manipulation' and 'farce' in reference to Vollhardt's phenomena had been libellous. In the three-part trial that followed, however, Moll's putative affront to the medium--of which he was eventually acquitted--was overshadowed, on the one hand, by a debate over the scientific status of parapsychology, and on the other, by the question of who--parapsychologists, occultists, psychiatrists or jurists--was entitled to claim epistemic authority over the occult. This paper will use the Rudloff-Moll trial as a means of examining Moll's critique of occultism, not only as it stood in the mid-1920s, but also as it had developed since the 1880s. It will also provide insight into the views of Germany's occultists and parapsychologists, who argued that their legitimate bid for scientific credibility was hindered by Dunkelmänner [obscurantists] such as Albert Moll.

  10. The floating cardiac fat pad-sign of occult pneumothorax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, Claire; Bokhari, S A Jamal

    2016-08-01

    Pneumothoraces are a possible sequela of chest trauma with potential morbidity and mortality if not recognized and treated promptly. A portable supine chest radiograph is frequently the first radiologic study performed in the setting of trauma. While large pneumothoraces can be readily recognized on these radiographs, smaller pneumothoraces are missed in up to 15 % of trauma patients. There are many radiographic signs of occult pneumothoraces, and we are presenting a new radiographic sign of occult pneumothorax. The floating cardiac fat pad sign occurs when pleural air collects anteriorly and superiorly in the most non-dependent portion of the chest lifting the pericardial fat pad off the diaphragm. Lung markings are still seen surrounding the pericardial fat pad due to the inflated lower lobe of the lung resting dependently. Rapid and accurate identification of pneumothoraces is critical but often difficult on chest radiographs. Although there are many existing radiographic signs for identification of pneumothorax, prospective identification of small pneumothoraces is still relatively poor. Here, we describe an additional sign which aides in the detection of pneumothoraces, the floating cardiac fat pad. When present, this should prompt further evaluation with chest CT or upright chest radiograph.

  11. Esophageal Metastasis From Occult Lung Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Po-Kuei Hsu

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available A 66-year-old man with dysphagia was found to have a poorly differentiated esophageal carcinoma by incision biopsy. Following esophagectomy, reconstruction with a gastric tube was performed. Pathological examination and immunohisto-chemistry showed infiltration of adenocarcinoma cells with positive thyroid transcription factor 1-staining in the submucosal layer, which indicated metastatic esophageal carcinoma. Although no pulmonary lesion could be visualized by imaging or bronchoscopy, pulmonary origin was highly suspected as a result of positive thyroid transcription factor 1-staining. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of metastatic esophageal carcinoma from occult lung cancer (AJCC TNM stage TX.

  12. CASE REPORT Urachal remnant carcinoma - a rare entity

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was not undertaken as it was thought to confer little benefit in the setting of advanced disease. Following histological confirmation of moderately differentiated invasive adenocarcinoma of the urachal remnant, and administration of chemotherapy, the patient developed cerebral metastasis ...

  13. X-ray emission of the hot gas and of accelerated particles in supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acero, F.

    2008-09-01

    The current observations seem to support the theory that the shock wave of supernova remnants accelerate electrons (representing about 1% of cosmic rays) of the interstellar medium up to energies of about 10 15 eV. However there is still no solid evidence that supernova remnants also accelerate protons (major component of cosmic rays). The X-ray observations of those supernova remnants with the satellite XMM-Newton can provide crucial information on the acceleration mechanisms and on this population of accelerated particles. This thesis presents the X-ray analysis of the supernova remnants RX J1713.7-3946 and SN 1006 for which it has been shown that they accelerate electrons efficiently. As a result, these objects are very good targets to compare the theoretical models of acceleration to the observation. For the first object, I constructed through new XMM-Newton observations, the first high-angular resolution mosaic of the entire supernova remnant. I then compared the X- and gamma-ray emission of this object in order to understand the nature of the gamma-ray emission. This spectral and morphological comparison allowed me to discuss the two possible origins of the gamma-ray radiation (issued by electrons or by protons). For SN 1006, I studied the density of the ambient medium in which the shock wave propagates. This density is a key parameter for the hydrodynamical evolution of the remnant and for studying a future gamma-ray emission. The study of X-ray emission of the gas heated by the shock wave allowed me to better estimate of the value of the density so far poorly constrained for this object. (author)

  14. Local time dependence of the thermal structure in the Venusian equatorial region revealed by Akatsuki radio occultation measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ando, H.; Fukuhara, T.; Takagi, M.; Imamura, T.; Sugimoto, N.; Sagawa, H.

    2017-12-01

    The radio occultation technique is one of the most useful methods to retrieve vertical temperature profiles in planetary atmospheres. Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) onboard Venus Climate Orbiter, Akatsuki, enables us to investigate the thermal structure of the Venus atmosphere between about 40-90 km levels. It is expected that 35 temperature profiles will be obtained by the radio occultation measurements of Akatsuki until August 2017. Static stability derived from the temperature profiles shows its local time dependence above the cloud top level at low-latitudes equatorward of 25˚. The vertical profiles of the static stability in the dawn and dusk regions have maxima at 77 km and 82 km levels, respectively. A general circulation model (GCM) for the Venus atmosphere (AFES-Venus) reproduced the thermal structures above the cloud top qualitatively consistent with the radio occultation measurements; the maxima of the static stability are seen both in the dawn and dusk regions, and the local maximum of the static stability in the dusk region is located at a highler level than in the dawn region. Comparing the thermal structures between the radio occultation measurements and the GCM results, it is suggested that the distribution of the static stability above the cloud top could be strongly affected by the diurnal tide. The thermal tide influences on the thermal structure as well as atmospheric motions above the cloud level. In addition, it is shown that zonally averaged zonal wind at about 80 km altitude could be roughly estimated from the radio occultation measurements using the dispersion relation of the internal gravity wave.

  15. Current status in remnant gastric cancer after distal gastrectomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohira, Masaichi; Toyokawa, Takahiro; Sakurai, Katsunobu; Kubo, Naoshi; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Muguruma, Kazuya; Yashiro, Masakazu; Onoda, Naoyoshi; Hirakawa, Kosei

    2016-01-01

    Remnant gastric cancer (RGC) and gastric stump cancer after distal gastrectomy (DG) are recognized as the same clinical entity. In this review, the current knowledges as well as the non-settled issues of RGC are presented. Duodenogastric reflux and denervation of the gastric mucosa are considered as the two main factors responsible for the development of RGC after benign disease. On the other hand, some precancerous circumstances which already have existed at the time of initial surgery, such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, are the main factors associated with RGC after gastric cancer. Although eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in remnant stomach is promising, it is still uncertain whether it can reduce the risk of carcinogenesis. Periodic endoscopic surveillance after DG was reported useful in detecting RGC at an early stage, which offers a chance to undergo minimally invasive endoscopic treatment or laparoscopic surgery and leads to an improved prognosis in RGC patients. Future challenges may be expected to elucidate the benefit of eradication of H. pylori in the remnant stomach if it could reduce the risk for RGC, to build an optimal endoscopic surveillance strategy after DG by stratifying the risk for development of RGC, and to develop a specific staging system for RGC for the standardization of the treatment by prospecting the prognosis. PMID:26937131

  16. External occulter edge scattering control using metamaterials for exoplanet detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendek, Eduardo A.; Sirbu, Dan; Liu, Zhaowei; Martin, Stefan; Lu, Dylan

    2015-09-01

    Direct imaging of earth-like exoplanets in the Habitable Zone of sun-like stars requires image contrast of ~10^10 at angular separations of around a hundred milliarcseconds. One approach for achieving this performance is to fly a starshade at a long distance in front of the telescope, shading the telescope from the direct starlight, but allowing planets around the star to be seen. The starshade is positioned so that sunlight falls on the surface away from the telescope, so the sun does not directly illuminate it. However, sunlight scattered from the starshade edge can enter the telescope, raising the background light level and potentially preventing the starshade from delivering the required contrast. As a result, starshade edge design has been identified as one of the highest priority technology gaps for external occulter missions in the NASAs Exoplanet Exploration Program Technology Plan 2013. To reduce the sunlight edge scatter to an acceptable level, the edge Radius Of Curvature (ROC) should be 1μm or less (commercial razor blades have ROC of a few hundred nanometer). This poses a challenging manufacturing requirement and may make the occulter difficult to handle. In this paper we propose an alternative approach to controlling the edge scattering by applying a flexible metamaterial to the occulter edge. Metamaterials are artificially structured materials, which have been designed to display properties not found in natural materials. Metamaterials can be designed to direct the scatter at planned incident angles away from the space telescope, thereby directly decreasing the contaminating background light. Reduction of the background light translates into shorter integration time to characterize a target planet and therefore improves the efficiency of the observations. As an additional benefit, metamaterials also have potential to produce increased tolerance to edge defects.

  17. VHE Gamma-ray Supernova Remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Funk, Stefan; /KIPAC, Menlo Park

    2007-01-22

    Increasing observational evidence gathered especially in X-rays and {gamma}-rays during the course of the last few years support the notion that Supernova remnants (SNRs) are Galactic particle accelerators up to energies close to the ''knee'' in the energy spectrum of Cosmic rays. This review summarizes the current status of {gamma}-ray observations of SNRs. Shell-type as well as plerionic type SNRs are addressed and prospect for observations of these two source classes with the upcoming GLAST satellite in the energy regime above 100 MeV are given.

  18. AN X-RAY INVESTIGATION OF THREE SUPERNOVA REMNANTS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klimek, Matthew D.; Points, S. D.; Smith, R. C.; Shelton, R. L.; Williams, R.

    2010-01-01

    We have investigated three supernova remnants (SNRs) in the LMC using multi-wavelength data. These SNRs are generally fainter than the known sample (see Section 4) and may represent a previously missed population. One of our SNRs is the second LMC remnant analyzed which is larger than any Galactic remnant for which a definite size has been established. The analysis of such a large remnant contributes to the understanding of the population of highly evolved SNRs. We have obtained X-ray images and spectra of three of these recently identified SNRs using the XMM-Newton observatory. These data, in conjunction with pre-existing optical emission-line images and spectra, were used to determine the physical conditions of the optical- and X-ray-emitting gas in the SNRs. We have compared the morphologies of the SNRs in the different wavebands. The physical properties of the warm ionized shell were determined from the Hα surface brightness and the SNR expansion velocity. The X-ray spectra were fit with a thermal plasma model and the physical conditions of the hot gas were derived from the model fits. Finally, we have compared our observations with simulations of SNR evolution.

  19. Retrieval of temperature and pressure using broadband solar occultation: SOFIE approach and results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. T. Marshall

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Measurement of atmospheric temperature as a function of pressure, T(P, is key to understanding many atmospheric processes and a prerequisite for retrieving gas mixing ratios and other parameters from solar occultation measurements. This paper gives a brief overview of the solar occultation measurement technique followed by a detailed discussion of the mechanisms that make the measurement sensitive to temperature. Methods for retrieving T(P using both broadband transmittance and refraction are discussed. Investigations using measurements of broadband transmittance in two CO2 absorption bands (the 4.3 and 2.7 μm bands and refractive bending are then presented. These investigations include sensitivity studies, simulated retrieval studies, and examples from SOFIE.

  20. The Centaur Chariklo and its rings system from stellar occultations in 2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leiva, Rodrigo; Sicardy, Bruno; Camargo, Julio; Ortiz, Jose Luis; Berard, Diane; Desmars, Josselin; Chariklo Occultations Team; Rio Group; Lucky Star Occultation Team; Granada Occultation Team

    2017-10-01

    A stellar occultation in June 3, 2013 revealed the presence of a dense ring system around the Centaur object (10199) Chariklo (Braga-Ribas et al., Nature 2014). Subsequent analysis of occultation data and long-term photometric variations indicate that Chariklo's body is elongated (Leiva et al. 2017, submitted) and that the main ring exhibits significant longitudinal variations of the radial width (Bérard et al. 2017, in press). We report three multi-chord high-quality stellar occultation by Chariklo on April 9, 2017 and June 22, 2017 from Namibia, and July 23 2017 from South America. The analysis of this new data set is underway, but preliminary results are consistent with triaxial ellipsoidal models. From this analysis we will:-present refined models for the size and shape of Chariklo's main body andevaluate the heights and slopes of its topographic features.-give constraints on the longitudinal width variations of Chariklo's rings andexplore the possibility to obtain the rings apsidal precession rate.Chariklo's shape and topography have strong consequences on the dynamics of the rings through Lindblad-type resonances between mean motion of the ring particles and the spin of the main body, while the rings precession rate gives constraints on the dynamical oblateness of the main body.**Part of the research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community’s H2020 (2014-2020/ ERC Grant Agreement n 669416 ”LUCKY STAR”).

  1. The population of supernova remnants in the Magellanic Clouds

    CERN Document Server

    Dennefeld, M

    1978-01-01

    The detection of SNRs in the Magellanic Clouds is reviewed with emphasis on its limits. A sample of SNRs is then used to derive the mean interval between SN explosions, tau . After the maximum constraints have been put on all the other parameters, the distribution of diameters of remnants with diameter less than 30 pc in the LMC is shown to agree well with theoretical predictions. In adopting a mean value of E/sub 0//n/sub 0/ (energy at explosion over surrounding density) of 5*10/sup 51/ ergs cm/sup 3/, the best value of tau is 300+or-100 years in good agreement with predictions from statistics of supernovae in external galaxies. The small number of remnants in the SMC prevents a similar approach being used with any statistical significance. (20 refs).

  2. OXYGEN-RICH SUPERNOVA REMNANT IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-01-01

    This is a NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of the tattered debris of a star that exploded 3,000 years ago as a supernova. This supernova remnant, called N132D, lies 169,000 light-years away in the satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. A Hubble Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 image of the inner regions of the supernova remnant shows the complex collisions that take place as fast moving ejecta slam into cool, dense interstellar clouds. This level of detail in the expanding filaments could only be seen previously in much closer supernova remnants. Now, Hubble's capabilities extend the detailed study of supernovae out to the distance of a neighboring galaxy. Material thrown out from the interior of the exploded star at velocities of more than four million miles per hour (2,000 kilometers per second) plows into neighboring clouds to create luminescent shock fronts. The blue-green filaments in the image correspond to oxygen-rich gas ejected from the core of the star. The oxygen-rich filaments glow as they pass through a network of shock fronts reflected off dense interstellar clouds that surrounded the exploded star. These dense clouds, which appear as reddish filaments, also glow as the shock wave from the supernova crushes and heats the clouds. Supernova remnants provide a rare opportunity to observe directly the interiors of stars far more massive than our Sun. The precursor star to this remnant, which was located slightly below and left of center in the image, is estimated to have been 25 times the mass of our Sun. These stars 'cook' heavier elements through nuclear fusion, including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, iron etc., and the titanic supernova explosions scatter this material back into space where it is used to create new generations of stars. This is the mechanism by which the gas and dust that formed our solar system became enriched with the elements that sustain life on this planet. Hubble spectroscopic observations will be used to determine the exact

  3. Implementation of immunochemical faecal occult blood test in general practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juul, Jakob Søgaard; Bro, Flemming; Hornung, Nete

    2016-01-01

    anvendelsen af immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) i almen praksis. iFOBT detekterer humant globin i fæces og indikerer gastrointestinal blødning. Studiet udgør en del af et ph.d.-studie, der bidrager med ny viden til at optimere udredningen af patienter med tarmkræft. Der er et stort behov...

  4. Occult HBV among Anti-HBc Alone: Mutation Analysis of an HBV Surface Gene and Pre-S Gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Myeong Hee; Kang, So Young; Lee, Woo In

    2017-05-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular characteristics of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 'anti-HBc alone' subjects. Twenty-four patients with 'anti-HBc alone' and 20 control patients diagnosed with HBV were analyzed regarding S and pre-S gene mutations. All specimens were analyzed for HBs Ag, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs. For specimens with an anti-HBc alone, quantitative analysis of HBV DNA, as well as sequencing and mutation analysis of S and pre-S genes, were performed. A total 24 were analyzed for the S gene, and 14 were analyzed for the pre-S gene through sequencing. A total of 20 control patients were analyzed for S and pre-S gene simultaneously. Nineteen point mutations of the major hydrophilic region were found in six of 24 patients. Among them, three mutations, S114T, P127S/T, M133T, were detected in common. Only one mutation was found in five subjects of the control group; this mutation was not found in the occult HBV infection group, however. Pre-S mutations were detected in 10 patients, and mutations of site aa58-aa100 were detected in 9 patients. A mutation on D114E was simultaneously detected. Although five mutations from the control group were found at the same location (aa58-aa100), no mutations of occult HBV infection were detected. The prevalence of occult HBV infection is not low among 'anti-HBc alone' subjects. Variable mutations in the S gene and pre-S gene were associated with the occurrence of occult HBV infection. Further larger scale studies are required to determine the significance of newly detected mutations. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017

  5. HBV vaccination of HCV-infected patients with occult HBV infection and anti-HBc-positive blood donors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.S.F. Pereira

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Anti-HBc positivity is a frequent cause of donation rejection at blood banks. Hepatitis B virus (HBV infection may also occur in HBsAg-negative patients, a situation denoted occult infection. Similarly, very low levels of HBV-DNA have also been found in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV infection, even in the absence of serum HBsAg. Initially we searched for HBV-DNA in serum of 100 blood donors and 50 HCV-infected patients who were HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive by nested-PCR and by an HBV monitor commercial test for HBV-DNA. Anti-HBs seroconversion rates were measured in 100 blood donors and in 22 patients with chronic HCV infection after HBV vaccination to determine if the HBV vaccination could eliminate an occult HBV infection in these individuals. Occult HBV infection was detected in proportionally fewer blood donors (6/100 = 6% than chronic hepatitis C patients (12/50 = 24% (P 0.05. All subjects who were HBV-DNA(+ before the first dose of HBV vaccine (D1, became HBV-DNA(- after D1, D2, and D3. Among 22 HCV-positive patients, 10 HBV-DNA(+ and 12 HBV-DNA(-, seroconversion was observed in 9/10 (90% HBV-DNA(+ and in 9/12 (75% HBV-DNA(- subjects (P > 0.05. The disappearance of HBV-DNA in the majority of vaccinated patients suggests that residual HBV can be eliminated in patients with occult infection.

  6. Use of radionuclide techniques for assessment of splenic function and detection of splenic remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganguly, S.; Sinha, S.; Sarkar, B.R.; Basu, S.; Ghosh, S.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: The spleen is often involved in hematological malignancies; it is also the site of RBC destruction in thalassemia and ITP. In latter cases, splenectomy is often performed and postoperatively, detection of functioning splenic remnants affect the prognosis adversely. In this study, we assessed the usefulness of radionuclide techniques in : a) assessment of splenic function in primarily non-splenic diseases (benign or malignant), and b) detection of splenic remnant after splenectomy. 12 patients of splenomegaly and 5 patients after splenectomy underwent splenic imaging; imaging was performed using both 99m Tc-sulphur colloid (with first pass) and 99m Tc labelled heat denatured RBCs as tracers. Thus splenic perfusion, morphology and RBC trapping functions were all assessed. The colloid images usually matched the RBC images except in 2 cases where photogenic areas (presumably infarcts) were visualized on RBC scans that were missed on colloid scans. Three of the post splenectomy cases revealed functioning splenic remnants, which was also better visualized on RBC scans. It is concluded that radionuclide imaging could be used regularly for assessing function of spleen, or detecting splenic remnants

  7. Soft X-ray observations of the supernova remnants HB 3 and 3C 58

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galas, C. M. F.; Tuohy, I. R.; Garmire, G. P.

    1980-01-01

    The HEAO 1 A-2 low energy detectors have discovered soft X-ray emission from a source positionally coincident with the supernova remnant HB 3. The flux in the energy range 0.3-2.2 keV is about 6 x 10 to the -11th ergs per sq cm s. The spectral data are fitted to a hydrogen thermal bremsstrahlung model, and the physical parameters of the supernova remnant are estimated. The age derived is about 21,000 years, and the initial blast energy is about 3.1 x 10 to the 50th ergs. Upper limits to the soft X-ray flux and the luminosity of the supernova remnant 3 C 58 are also derived.

  8. Intestinal obstruction caused by omphalomesenteric duct remnant: usefulness of laparoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bueno Lledó, J; Serralta Serra, A; Planeéis Roig, M; Dobón Giménez, F; Ibáñez Palacín, F; Rodero Rodero, R

    2003-10-01

    The anomalies related to omphalomesenteric duct remnant constitute an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction, of which Meckel"s diverticulum and its variants represent the most important clinical presentation. In most cases they are asymptomatic and usually affect young patients. When symptomatic, they usually present episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding or acute abdomen syndromes caused by strangulation of intestinal loops as a result of fibrous intraabdominal remnants or inflammation produced by the diverticulum. In most cases, the unexpected presence of these alterations makes intraoperative diagnosis necessary. Treatment is surgical and consists in exeresis of the diverticulum or the fibrous band causing the clinical picture. We report two cases of persistence of the vitelline duct resolved by laparoscopic approach.

  9. Detection of occult hepatitis B virus among chronic hepatitis C patients

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Concurrent infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are increasingly recognized in patients with chronic hepatitis. In Egypt, the last decade showed a remarkable decline in HBV infection associated with remarkable rise in HCV infection. The probable impact of occult HBV in patients ...

  10. [Occult pneumothorax: Does it take drain before elective surgery?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bensghir, M; Moutaoukil, M; Meziane, M; Jaafari, A; Hemmaoui, B; Haimeur, C

    2016-08-01

    Pneumothorax occult is defined by the presence of a non-visible to standard asymptomatic pneumothorax and pulmonary diagnosed only by X-ray computed tomography. The presence of this type of pneumothorax before planned surgery is a rare situation. What to do remains non-consensual. Through two clinic cases and a literature review, the authors discuss the modalities of management of this entity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. The prevalence of visible and/or occult blood on anesthesia and monitoring equipment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, S M; Monaghan, W P

    2001-02-01

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have attempted to stop the spread of blood-borne pathogens by issuing several recommendations and regulations. However, unless healthcare workers comply with these standards, they are not effective. In the anesthesia care environment, the anesthetist is responsible for ensuring that the equipment is clean, and disinfected, before use. We studied the prevalence of visible and occult blood on 6 types of anesthesia and monitoring equipment identified as ready for use in 28 operating suites, in 2 facilities. The sample consisted of 336 observations of the 6 types of equipment. The equipment was inspected for visible blood and then tested for occult blood using a 3-stage phenolphthalein test. Of the 336 observations, 110 (32.7%), were positive for occult blood with only 6 showing visible blood. The presence of blood on this equipment may be in direct violation of the OSHA Blood-borne Pathogen Standard and the infection control guidelines of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Furthermore, the presence of blood on this equipment may increase the risk for nosocomial and occupational exposure to viral and bacterial pathogens. Recommendations were made to decrease the risks from this contamination by redesigning equipment, increasing the use of disposable equipment, and ensuring compliance with effective infection control practices.

  12. Geonic black holes and remnants in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmo, Gonzalo J; Rubiera-Garcia, D; Sanchis-Alepuz, Helios

    We show that electrically charged solutions within the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory of gravity replace the central singularity by a wormhole supported by the electric field. As a result, the total energy associated with the electric field is finite and similar to that found in the Born-Infeld electromagnetic theory. When a certain charge-to-mass ratio is satisfied, in the lowest part of the mass and charge spectrum the event horizon disappears, yielding stable remnants. We argue that quantum effects in the matter sector can lower the mass of these remnants from the Planck scale down to the TeV scale.

  13. Astr 101 Students' Attitudes Towards Essays On Transits, Eclipses And Occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Cruz, Noella L.

    2012-05-01

    Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL offers a one semester introductory astronomy course each semester. We teach over 110 primarily non-science major students each semester. We use proven active learning strategies such lecture tutorials, think-pair-share questions and small group discussions to help these students develop and retain a good understanding of astrophysical concepts. Occasionally, we offer projects that allow students to explore course topics beyond the classroom. We hope that such projects will increase students' interest in astronomy. We also hope that these assignments will help students to improve their critical thinking and writing skills. In Spring 12, we are offering three short individual essay assignments in our face-to-face sections. The essays focus on transits, eclipses and occultations to highlight the 2012 transit of Venus. For the first essay, students will find images of transit and occultation events using the Astronomy Picture of the Day website and describe their chosen events. In addition, students will predict how variations in certain physical and orbital parameters would alter their particular events. The second essay involves transits, eclipses and occultations observed by spacecraft. Students will describe their transit event, their spacecraft's mission, orbital path, how the orbital path was achieved, etc. The third essay deals with transiting exoplanets. Students will choose at least two exoplanets from an exoplanet database, one of which has been discovered through the transit method. This essay will enable students to learn about detecting exoplanets and how they compare with our solar system. Details of the essay assignments and students' reactions to them will be presented at the meeting.

  14. Occultations of Astrophysical Radio Sources as Probes of Planetary Environments: A Case Study of Jupiter and Possible Applications to Exoplanets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Withers, Paul [Astronomy Department, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Vogt, Marissa F. [Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

    2017-02-10

    Properties of planetary atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres are difficult to measure from Earth. Radio occultations are a common method for measuring these properties, but they traditionally rely on radio transmissions from a spacecraft near the planet. Here, we explore whether occultations of radio emissions from a distant astrophysical radio source can be used to measure magnetic field strength, plasma density, and neutral density around planets. In a theoretical case study of Jupiter, we find that significant changes in polarization angle due to Faraday rotation occur for radio signals that pass within 10 Jupiter radii of the planet and that significant changes in frequency and power occur from radio signals that pass through the neutral atmosphere. There are sufficient candidate radio sources, such as pulsars, active galactic nuclei, and masers, that occultations are likely to occur at least once per year. For pulsars, time delays in the arrival of their emitted pulses can be used to measure plasma density. Exoplanets, whose physical properties are very challenging to observe, may also occult distant astrophysical radio sources, such as their parent stars.

  15. Profiling Saturn's rings by radio occultation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marouf, E.A.; Tyler, G.L.; Rosen, P.A.

    1986-01-01

    The development of reconstruction algorithms that correct for diffraction effects in radio occultation measurements is described. The reciprocal Fresnel transform relationship between the complex amplitude of the observed coherent signal and the complex microwave transmittance of the rings is derived using the Huygens-Fresnel formulation of the diffraction problem. The effects of the finite data segment width, the uncertainties in the Fresnel scale, systematic phase errors in the kernel of the inverse transform, reference oscillator instabilities, and random noise measurements on the resolution of the reconstructed transmittance are analyzed. Examples of reconstructed opacity profiles for some regions of Saturn's rings derived by applying the reconstruction theory to Voyager 1 at Saturn data are presented. 35 references

  16. Investigation of particle sizes in Pluto's atmosphere from the 29 June 2015 occultation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sickafoose, Amanda A.; Bosh, A. S.; Person, M. J.; Zuluaga, C. A.; Levine, S. E.; Pasachoff, J. M.; Babcock, B. A.; Dunham, E. W.; McLean, I.; Wolf, J.; Abe, F.; Bida, T. A.; Bright, L. P.; Brothers, T.; Christie, G.; Collins, P. L.; Durst, R. F.; Gilmore, A. C.; Hamilton, R.; Harris, H. C.; Johnson, C.; Kilmartin, P. M.; Kosiarek, M. R.; Leppik, K.; Logsdon, S.; Lucas, R.; Mathers, S.; Morley, C. J. K.; Natusch, T.; Nelson, P.; Ngan, H.; Pfüller, E.; de, H.-P.; Sallum, S.; Savage, M.; Seeger, C. H.; Siu, H.; Stockdale, C.; Suzuki, D.; Thanathibodee, T.; Tilleman, T.; Tristam, P. J.; Van Cleve, J.; Varughese, C.; Weisenbach, L. W.; Widen, E.; Wiedemann, M.

    2015-11-01

    The 29 June 2015 observations of a stellar occultation by Pluto, from SOFIA and ground-based sites in New Zealand, indicate that haze was present in the lower atmosphere (Bosh et al., this conference). Previously, slope changes in the occultation light curve profile of Pluto’s lower atmosphere have been attributed to haze, a steep thermal gradient, and/or a combination of the two. The most useful diagnostic for differentiating between these effects has been observing occultations over a range of wavelengths: haze scattering and absorption are functions of particle size and are wavelength dependent, whereas effects due to a temperature gradient should be largely independent of observational wavelength. The SOFIA and Mt. John data from this event exhibit obvious central flashes, from multiple telescopes observing over a range of wavelengths at each site (Person et al. and Pasachoff et al., this conference). SOFIA data include Red and Blue observations from the High-speed Imaging Photometer for Occultations (HIPO, at ~ 500 and 850 nm), First Light Infrared Test Camera (FLITECAM, at ~1800 nm), and the Focal Plan Imager (FPI+, at ~ 600 nm). Mt. John data include open filter, g', r', i', and near infrared. Here, we analyze the flux at the bottom of the light curves versus observed wavelength. We find that there is a distinct trend in flux versus wavelength, and we discuss applicable Mie scattering models for different particle size distributions and compositions (as were used to characterize haze in Pluto's lower atmosphere in Gulbis et al. 2015).SOFIA is jointly operated by the Universities Space Research Association, Inc. (USRA), under NASA contract NAS2-97001, and the Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI) under DLR contract 50 OK 0901 to the University of Stuttgart. Support for this work was provided by the National Research Foundation of South Africa, NASA SSO grants NNX15AJ82G (Lowell Observatory), PA NNX10AB27G (MIT), and PA NNX12AJ29G (Williams College), and the NASA

  17. Entirely Laparoscopic Gastrectomy and Colectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer with Gastric Outlet Obstruction and Transverse Colon Invasion

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Hyun Il; Kim, Min Gyu

    2015-01-01

    It is well known that gastrectomy with curative intent is the best way to improve outcomes of patients with remnant gastric cancer. Recently,several investigators reported their experiences with laparoscopic gastrectomy of remnant gastric cancer. We report the case of an 83-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with remnant gastric cancer with obstruction. She underwent an entirely laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with colectomy because of direct invasion of the transverse colon. The opera...

  18. Advanced Electrocardiography Can Identify Occult Cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiljak, M.; Petric, A. Domanjko; Wilberg, M.; Olsen, L. H.; Stepancic, A.; Schlegel, T. T.; Starc, V.

    2011-01-01

    Recently, multiple advanced resting electrocardiographic (A-ECG) techniques have improved the diagnostic value of short-duration ECG in detection of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans. This study investigated whether 12-lead A-ECG recordings could accurately identify the occult phase of DCM in dogs. Short-duration (3-5 min) high-fidelity 12-lead ECG recordings were obtained from 31 privately-owned, clinically healthy Doberman Pinschers (5.4 +/- 1.7 years, 11/20 males/females). Dogs were divided into 2 groups: 1) 19 healthy dogs with normal echocardiographic M-mode measurements: left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd . 47mm) and in systole (LVIDs . 38mm) and normal 24-hour ECG recordings (100 VPCs/24h; 1/12 dogs had only abnormal 24-hour ECG recordings (>100 VPCs/24h). ECG recordings were evaluated via custom software programs to calculate multiple parameters of high-frequency (HF) QRS ECG, heart rate variability, QT variability, waveform complexity and 3-D ECG. Student's t-tests determined 19 ECG parameters that were significantly different (P canine DCM as five selected ECG parameters can with reasonable accuracy identify occult DCM in Doberman Pinschers. Future extensive clinical studies need to clarify if 12-lead A-ECG could be useful as an additional screening test for canine DCM.

  19. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals due to dry, wet and occult deposition at the altitude profile Achenkirch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stopper, S.

    2001-12-01

    The goal of this work was to determine the height dependence of the three types of deposition throughout a one year time period to be able to get information about their elevational and seasonal behavior. In the time period from October 1998 to November 1999 measurements of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in aerosol, rain and cloud water were conducted in the Achenkirch-Valley in Tyrol, Austria. Afterwards the dry and occult deposition were modeled. The estimated annual inputs of metals at the two measurement sites Christlumkopf (1758 m a.s.l.) Mueeggerkoel (940 m a.s.l.) and the limits of the national law for protection of forest are shown. The measured depositions at both sites were far below the legal regulations. Due to the much higher occult deposition ratio at the top of the mountain the total annual input at the Christlumkopf was higher than at the Mueeggerkoel. This indicates the potential importance of occult deposition. (author)

  20. The role of small woodland remnants on ground dwelling insect conservation in Chaco Serrano, Central Argentina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, María Laura; Fernández, María Guadalupe; Molina, Silvia Itati; Valladares, Graciela

    2013-01-01

    Many terrestrial ecosystems are changing due to extensive land use and habitat fragmentation, posing a major threat to biodiversity. In this study, the effects of patch size, isolation, and edge/interior localization on the ground dwelling insect communities in the Chaco Serrano woodland remnants in central Argentina were examined. Sampling was carried out in December 2003 and March 2004 in nine remnants (0.57 to 1000 hectares) using pitfall traps. In total, 7071 individuals representing 12 orders and 79 families were recorded. The taxonomic composition of these communities was linked to remnant size. Insect abundance increased (as did their richness, albeit marginally) as remnant area decreased, with no significant effects of isolation or edge/interior localization on abundance, richness, or diversity. No differential area effects were observed when abundance and richness of predators, scavengers, and herbivores were compared. Thus, ground insect communities in fragmented Chaco Serrano seem to respond mainly to patch level, rather than to within-patch (edge effects) or landscape (isolation) level variables. These results suggest that small Chaco Serrano remnants, by supporting larger ground-dwelling insect assemblages, may play an important role from a conservation viewpoint.

  1. Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer with Occult Primary Treatment (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy or a combination of both. Get detailed information about newly diagnosed or recurrent metastatic squamous neck cancer in this summary for clinicians.

  2. Significance of mammographic signs in clinically occult disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waal, J.C. de; Steil, B.; Baltzer, J.; Vaillant, W.; Zander, J.

    1987-10-01

    The significance of various radiographic signs in 183 patients with clinically occult breast disease is described. 30.6% hat a carcinoma of the breast or a carcinoma in situ. The radiological features have varying predictive values and there is variation in the incidence of lymph node metastases. It is considered useful to classify the radiological appearances under the headings of round foci, star-shaped opacities, diffuse opacities, opacities with calcification and groups of micro-calcification. Despite the early diagnosis, 24% of patients already had lymph node metastases.

  3. Ultrasound Diagnosis of Either an Occult or Missed Fracture of an Extremity in Pediatric-Aged Children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Kil Ho [Yeungnam University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sung Moon [Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young Hwan [Daegu Catholic University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Suh, Kyung Jin [Dongkuk University, Kyungju (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-02-15

    To report and assess the usefulness of ultrasound (US) findings for occult fractures of growing bones. For six years, US scans were performed in children younger than 15 years who were referred with trauma-related local pain and swelling of the extremities. As a routine US examination, the soft tissue, bones, and adjacent joints were examined in the area of discomfort, in addition to the asymptomatic contralateral extremity for comparison. Twenty-five occult fractures in 25 children (age range, five months-15 years; average age, 7.7 years) were confirmed by initial and follow-up radiograms, additional imaging studies, and clinical observation longer than three weeks. The most common site of occult fractures was the elbow (n = 9, 36%), followed by the knee (n = 7, 28%), ischium (n = 4, 16%), distal fibula (n = 3, 12%), proximal femur (n = 1, 4%), and humeral shaft (n = 1, 4%). On the retrograde review of the routine radiographs, 13 out of the 25 cases showed no bone abnormalities except for various soft tissue swelling. For the US findings, cortical discontinuity (direct sign of a fracture) was clearly visualized in 23 cases (92%) and was questionable in two (8%). As auxiliary US findings (indirect signs of a fracture), step-off deformities, tiny avulsed bone fragments, double-line appearance of cortical margins, and diffuse irregularity of the bone surfaces were identified. Performing US for soft tissue and bone surfaces with pain and swelling, with or without trauma history in the extremities, is important for diagnosing occult or missed fractures of immature bones in pediatric-aged children.

  4. Confinement of the crab pulsar's wind by its supernova remnant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennel, C.F.; Coroniti, F.V.

    1984-01-01

    We construct a steady state, spherically symmetric, magnetohydrodynamic model of the Crab nebual. A highly relativistic, positronic pulsar wind is terminated by a strong MHD shock that decelerates the flow and increases its pressure to match boundary conditions imposed by the recently discovered supernova remnant that surrounds the nebula. If the magnetic luminosity of the pulsar wind upsteam of the shock is about 0.3% of its particle luminosity, the pressure and velocity boundary conditions imposed by the remnant place the shock where we infer it to be; near the outer boundary of an underluminous region observed to surround the pulsar. It is necessary to include the weak magnetization of the wind to satisfy the boundary conditions and to calculate the nebular synchrotron radiation self-consistently

  5. Evidence for the Stochastic Acceleration of Secondary Antiprotons by Supernova Remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cholis, Ilias [Johns Hopkins U.; Hooper, Dan [Chicago U., KICP; Linden, Tim [Ohio State U.

    2017-01-16

    The antiproton-to-proton ratio in the cosmic-ray spectrum is a sensitive probe of new physics. Using recent measurements of the cosmic-ray antiproton and proton fluxes in the energy range of 1-1000 GeV, we study the contribution to the $\\bar{p}/p$ ratio from secondary antiprotons that are produced and subsequently accelerated within individual supernova remnants. We consider several well-motivated models for cosmic-ray propagation in the interstellar medium and marginalize our results over the uncertainties related to the antiproton production cross section and the time-, charge-, and energy-dependent effects of solar modulation. We find that the increase in the $\\bar{p}/p$ ratio observed at rigidities above $\\sim$ 100 GV cannot be accounted for within the context of conventional cosmic-ray propagation models, but is consistent with scenarios in which cosmic-ray antiprotons are produced and subsequently accelerated by shocks within a given supernova remnant. In light of this, the acceleration of secondary cosmic rays in supernova remnants is predicted to substantially contribute to the cosmic-ray positron spectrum, accounting for a significant fraction of the observed positron excess.

  6. Optical pulsar in the Large Magellanic Cloud remnant 0540-69.3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Middleditch, J.; Pennypacker, C.R.

    1984-01-01

    We have detected pulsed optical emission from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) X-ray pulsar PSR 0540-693 (Seward et al. 1984). The pulsed emission has a time averaged magnitude of approximately 22.7. The X-ray pulsar was discovered in the LMC remnant, 0540-69.3 as a pulse repetition period of approx. 50 milliseconds (ms) in Einstein Obsrvatory data (Seward et al. 1984). Earlier, Clark et al. (1982) had noted that this remnant resembles the Crab Nebula because of the X-ray power law spectrum, and suggested that the nebular emission was synchrotron radiation powered by a central pulsar. After the announcement of X-ray pulsed emission, Chanan et al. (1984) measured the broad optical band properties of the nebula and found evidence for synchrotron emission. They reported that the 4.5 arc second continuum emission remnant has only a tenth the luminosity of the Crab Nebula. We have recorded broad-band optical time-series data at 1 ms intervals with the 4-m and 1.5-m Cerro Tololo telescopes and have found strong pulsations, employing the usual Fourier transform methods. A summary of the observations, including magnitudes, barycentric frequencies and times of arrival is given

  7. Earlier stages of colorectal cancer detected with immunochemical faecal occult blood tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rossum, L. G. M.; van Rijn, A. F.; van Munster, I. P.; Jansen, J. B. M. J.; Fockens, P.; Laheij, R. J. F.; Dekker, E.

    2009-01-01

    Background: The aim of colorectal cancer screening is to improve prognosis by the detection of early cancer and precursor stages. We compared the stage distribution of asymptomatic colorectal cancer patients detected by a positive immunochemical or guaiac-based faecal occult blood test (FOBT) with

  8. Bat use of remnant old-growth redwood stands

    Science.gov (United States)

    William J. Zielinski; Steven T. Gellman

    1999-01-01

    Most of the old-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in Calfornia has been cut; regenerating forests will probably never resemble those that were harvested, and what old growth remains on private land occurs in small, isolated remnant patches. The landscapes in which these stands occur differ so markedly from their original condition that their...

  9. PREVALENCE OF OCCULT DEPRESSION IN ELDERLY WITH CHRONIC CO - MORBIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Growth in elderly population has led to an increase in age related diseases and mainly depression which is affecting the quality of life. Depression is more prevalent amongst elderly individuals with medical illnesses and emerging public health problem leading to increased morbidity and disability worldwide. AIMS AND OBJE CTIVES: To assess the prevalence of occult depression in elderly patients with chronic co - morbid medical conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross - sectional study conducted in tertiary hospital. Total 100 elderly patients with underlying chronic me dical illnesses were included. Depression in study population was assessed by geriatric depression scale and analyzed. RESULT: Out of 100 patients 23(23% had depression. Females 12/39(30.76% were affected more than males 11/61 (18.03%. Depression was mo re prevalent among patients with 3 or more co - morbid conditions (45.4% as compared to <3 (11.9%. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with multiple chronic medical illnesses may have associated occult depression. Screening of these patients for depression couple d with appropriate psychiatric referral should be an integral part of Geriatric service

  10. Waves in the Martian Atmosphere: Results from MGS Radio Occultations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flasar, F. M.; Hinson, D. P.; Tyler, G. L.

    1999-01-01

    Temperatures retrieved from Mars Global Surveyor radio occultations have been searched for evidence of waves. Emphasis has been on the initial series of occultations between 29 deg N and 64 deg S, obtained during the early martian southern summer, L(sub s) = 264 deg - 308 deg. The profiles exhibit an undulatory behavior that is suggestive of vertically propagating waves. wavelengths approximately 10 km are often dominant, but structure on smaller scales is evident. The undulatory structure is most pronounced between latitudes 29 deg N and 10 deg S, usually in regions of "interesting" topography, e.g., in the Tharsis region and near the edge of Syrtis Major. Several temperature profiles, particularly within 30 deg of the equator, exhibit lapse rates that locally become superadiabatic near the 0.4-mbar level or at higher altitudes. This implies that the waves are "breaking" and depositing horizontal momentum into the atmosphere. Such a deposition may play an important role in modulating the atmospheric winds, and characterizing the spatial and temporal distribution of these momentum transfers can provide important clues to understanding how the global circulation is maintained.

  11. CLASSIFYING STRUCTURES IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM WITH SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES: THE G16.05-0.57 SUPERNOVA REMNANT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beaumont, Christopher N.; Williams, Jonathan P.; Goodman, Alyssa A.

    2011-01-01

    We apply Support Vector Machines (SVMs)-a machine learning algorithm-to the task of classifying structures in the interstellar medium (ISM). As a case study, we present a position-position-velocity (PPV) data cube of 12 CO J = 3-2 emission toward G16.05-0.57, a supernova remnant that lies behind the M17 molecular cloud. Despite the fact that these two objects partially overlap in PPV space, the two structures can easily be distinguished by eye based on their distinct morphologies. The SVM algorithm is able to infer these morphological distinctions, and associate individual pixels with each object at >90% accuracy. This case study suggests that similar techniques may be applicable to classifying other structures in the ISM-a task that has thus far proven difficult to automate.

  12. A Recurrent Nova Super-Remnant in the Andromeda Galaxy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darnley, M. J.; Hounsell, R.; O'Brien, T. J.

    2017-01-01

    Here we report that the most rapidly recurring nova, M31N 2008-12a, which erupts annually, is surrounded by a "nova super-remnant" which demonstrates that M31N 2008-12a has erupted with high frequency for millions of years....

  13. Ionospheric Remote Sensing using GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry aboard the ISS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budzien, S. A.; Powell, S. P.; O'Hanlon, B.; Humphreys, T.; Bishop, R. L.; Stephan, A. W.; Gross, J.; Chakrabarti, S.

    2017-12-01

    The GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometer Co-located (GROUP-C) experiment launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on February 19, 2017 as part of the Space Test Program Houston #5 payload (STP-H5). After early orbit testing, GROUP-C began routine science operations in late April. GROUP-C includes a high-sensitivity far-ultraviolet photometer measuring horizontal nighttime ionospheric gradients and an advanced software-defined GPS receiver providing ionospheric electron density profiles, scintillation measurements, and lower atmosphere profiles. GROUP-C and a companion experiment, the Limb-Imaging Ionospheric and Thermospheric Extreme-Ultraviolet Spectrograph (LITES), offer a unique capability to study spatial and temporal variability of the thermosphere and ionosphere using multi-sensor approaches, including ionospheric tomography. Data are collected continuously across low- and mid-latitudes as the ISS orbit precesses through all local times every 60 days. The GROUP-C GPS sensor routinely collects dual-frequency GPS occultations, makes targeted raw signal captures of GPS and Galileo occultations, and includes multiple antennas to characterize multipath in the ISS environment. The UV photometer measures the 135.6 nm ionospheric recombination airglow emision along the nightside orbital track. We present the first analysis of ionospheric observations, discuss the challenges and opportunities of remote sensing from the ISS platform, and explore how these new data help address questions regarding the complex and dynamic features of the low and middle latitude ionosphere-thermosphere relevant to the upcoming GOLD and ICON missions.

  14. Usefullness of routine use of fecal occult blood test in a hospital setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simona Ravnik

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Fecal occult blood test, hematest, is a well excepted non-invasive method used for detecting different diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It was proven in different randomized studies that usage of this simple method may facilitate further diagnostic and therapeutic treatment.Patients and methods: The retrospective analysis includes patients, which were admitted to the gastroenterological and endoscopy department of the General hospital Maribor in the last quarter of the year 2005. In all patients fecal occult blood test was performed.Results: We examined 200 patients, 104 women and 96 men, average age 63.9 years, SD±16.9, ranging from 21 to 97 years. Positive hematest was discovered in 76 patients (38 %. The source of hemorrhage from the upper digestive tract was confirmed in 37 patients (48.6 % of all positive tests and from the lower digestive tract in 34 patients (46 % of all positive tests. The most frequent causes of hemorrhage from the lower digestive tract were chronic inflammatory bowel disease (13.1 % of all positive tests, colorectal cancer (10.5 % and polyps (6.6 %. The source of hemorrhage was not located in five patients (6.6 % of all positive tests despite the accurate diagnostic procedure.Conclusions: By performing a fecal occult blood screening in non-symptomatic patients, we can make an essential step towards discovering different gastrointestinal diseases, even colorectal cancer in its early, limited form, when the effect of treatment is greatest.

  15. The optical emission from the supernova remnant HB 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fesen, R. A.; Gull, T. R.

    1983-01-01

    The supernova remnant HB 3 was first detected as a radio source by Brown and Hazard (1953). On the basis of subsequent radio studies, it was concluded that the object was a supernova remnant (SNR). HB 3 is located at the far western edge of the H II region/molecular cloud complex W3-W4-W5 (IC 1795-1805-1848). However, a physical association of HB 3 with this complex is uncertain. In the present investigation, attention is called to the probability that HB 3 exhibits a more extensive optical emission structure than previously realized, and one which agrees well with both the position and morphology of the radio emission. It is found that narrow-passband optical images strongly suggest an almost complete optical emission shell for HB 3. Spectroscopic observations are, however, required to confirm that this emission is characteristic of a SNR.

  16. Supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae and their interaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Swaluw, E. van der

    2001-01-01

    A supernova explosion marks the end of the evolution of a massive star. What remains of the exploded star is a high density neutron star or a black hole. The material which has been ejected by the supernova explosion will manifest itself as a supernova remnant: a hot bubble of gas expanding in the

  17. Final binary star results from the ESO VLT Lunar occultations program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richichi, A. [National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, 191 Siriphanich Bldg., Huay Kaew Road, Suthep, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Fors, O. [Departament Astronomia i Meteorologia and Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICC), Universitat de Barcelona (UB/IEEC), Martí i Franqués 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Cusano, F. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Ivanov, V. D., E-mail: andrea4work@gmail.com [European Southern Observatory, Ave. Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19 (Chile)

    2014-03-01

    We report on 13 subarcsecond binaries, detected by means of lunar occultations in the near-infrared at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). They are all first-time detections except for the visual binary HD 158122, which we resolved for the first time in the near-infrared. The primaries have magnitudes in the range K = 4.5-10.0, and companions in the range K = 6.8-11.1. The magnitude differences have a median value of 2.4, with the largest being 4.6. The projected separations are in the range of 4-168 mas, with a median of 13 mas. We discuss and compare our results with the available literature. With this paper, we conclude the mining for binary star detections in the 1226 occultations recorded at the VLT with the ISAAC instrument. We expect that the majority of these binaries may be unresolvable by adaptive optics on current telescopes, and they might be challenging for long-baseline interferometry. However, they constitute an interesting sample for future larger telescopes and for astrometric missions such as GAIA.

  18. Modeling supernova remnants: effects of diffusive cosmic-ray acceleration on the evolution and application to observations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kosenko, D.; Blinnikov, S.; Vink, J.

    2011-01-01

    We present numerical models for supernova remnant evolution, using a new version of the hydrodynamical code SUPREMNA. We added a cosmic-ray diffusion equation to the code scheme, employing a two-fluid approximation. We investigate the dynamics of the simulated supernova remnants with different

  19. Lunar occultation of Saturn. II - The normal reflectance of Rhea, Titan, and Iapetus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliot, J. L.; Dunham, E. W.; Veverka, J.; Goguen, J.

    1978-01-01

    An inversion procedure to obtain the reflectance of the central region of a satellite's disk from lunar occultation data is presented. The scheme assumes that the limb darkening of the satellite depends only on the radial distance from the center of the disk. Given this assumption, normal reflectances can be derived that are essentially independent of the limb darkening and the diameter of the satellite. The procedure has been applied to our observations of the March 1974 lunar occultation of Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, and Iapetus. In the V passband we derive the following normal reflectances: Rhea (0.97 plus or minus 0.20), Titan (0.24 plus or minus 0.03), Iapetus, bright face (0.60 plus or minus 0.14). For Tethys and Dione the values derived have large uncertainties, but are consistent with our result for Rhea.

  20. HIGH RESOLUTION 36 GHz IMAGING OF THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT OF SN 1987A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, T. M.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Zanardo, G.; Ng, C.-Y.; Gaensler, B. M.; Ball, Lewis; Kesteven, M. J.; Manchester, R. N.; Tzioumis, A. K.

    2009-01-01

    The aftermath of supernova (SN) 1987A continues to provide spectacular insights into the interaction between an SN blastwave and its circumstellar environment. We here present 36 GHz observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array of the radio remnant of SN 1987A. These new images, taken in 2008 April and 2008 October, substantially extend the frequency range of an ongoing monitoring and imaging program conducted between 1.4 and 20 GHz. Our 36.2 GHz images have a diffraction-limited angular resolution of 0.''3-0.''4, which covers the gap between high resolution, low dynamic range VLBI images of the remnant and low resolution, high dynamic range images at frequencies between 1 and 20 GHz. The radio morphology of the remnant at 36 GHz is an elliptical ring with enhanced emission on the eastern and western sides, similar to that seen previously at lower frequencies. Model fits to the data in the Fourier domain show that the emitting region is consistent with a thick inclined torus of mean radius 0.''85, and a 2008 October flux density of 27 ± 6 mJy at 36.2 GHz. The spectral index for the remnant at this epoch, determined between 1.4 GHz and 36.2 GHz, is α = -0.83. There is tentative evidence for an unresolved central source with flatter spectral index.

  1. Efficacy of benazepril hydrochloride to delay the progression of occult dilated cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Grady, M R; O'Sullivan, M L; Minors, S L; Horne, R

    2009-01-01

    Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are recommended in people to treat asymptomatic (occult) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Efficacy of therapy in occult DCM in dogs is unknown. ACEIs, specifically benazepril hydrochloride (BH), will delay the onset of overt DCM in Doberman Pinschers. Ninety-one Doberman Pinschers were studied, 57 dogs received BH, and 34 dogs no ACEI. Retrospective study of the medical records of all Doberman Pinschers with occult DCM that received BH or no ACEI between April 1989 and February 2003. Two criteria of left ventricular enlargement were used for enrollment: one independent of body weight (BW) (C1) and the other indexed to BW (C2). Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to identify variables associated with the onset of overt DCM. On univariate analysis the median time to onset of overt DCM was significantly longer for the benazepril group (for C1: 425 days for BH, 95% confidence interval [CI] 264-625 days; 339 days for no ACEI, CI 172-453 days, P= .02; for C2: 454 days for BH, CI 264-628 days; 356 days for no ACEI, CI 181-547 days, P= .02). The hazard ratio (HR) (benazepril/no ACEI) was 0.57, CI 0.35-0.94, P= .03 for C1; HR = 0.56, CI 0.34-0.93, P= .02 for C2. On multivariate analysis, BH significantly delayed onset of overt DCM (HR [benazepril/no ACEI] = 0.45, CI 0.26-0.78, P < .01, for C1; HR = 0.36, CI 0.21-0.63, P < .01, for C2). BH in particular and ACEIs in general might delay the progression of occult DCM. Prospective studies are warranted to test this theory.

  2. Three cases of laparoscopic total gastrectomy with intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy for gastric cancer in remnant stomach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yu; Mou, Yi-Ping; Chen, Ke; Xu, Xiao-Wu; Cai, Jia-Qin; Wu, Di; Zhou, Yu-Cheng

    2014-11-13

    Gastric cancer in remnant stomach is a rare tumor but with poor prognosis. Compared with conventional open surgery, laparoscopic gastrectomy has potential benefits for these patients due to advantages resulting from its minimally invasive approach. Herein, we report on three patients with gastric cancer in remnant stomach who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy successfully. The operative time was 280, 250 and 225 minutes, the estimated blood loss was 100, 80 and 50 ml and the length of postoperative hospital stay was seven, eight and nine days respectively. Our experience has suggested that laparoscopic total gastrectomy with intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy can be a safe, feasible and promising option for patients with gastric cancer in remnant stomach.

  3. The hard X-ray view of the young supernova remnant G1.9+0.3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zoglauer, Andreas; Reynolds, Stephen P.; An, Hongjun

    2015-01-01

    NuSTAR observed G1.9+0.3, the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way, for 350 ks and detected emission up to ~30 keV. The remnant's X-ray morphology does not change significantly across the energy range from 3 to 20 keV. A combined fit between NuSTAR and Chandra shows that the spectrum...

  4. Genetically elevated non-fasting triglycerides and calculated remnant cholesterol as causal risk factors for myocardial infarction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Anders Berg; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth; West, Anders Sode

    2012-01-01

    AimsElevated non-fasting triglycerides mark elevated levels of remnant cholesterol. Using a Mendelian randomization approach, we tested whether genetically increased remnant cholesterol in hypertriglyceridaemia due to genetic variation in the apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) associates with an incr......AimsElevated non-fasting triglycerides mark elevated levels of remnant cholesterol. Using a Mendelian randomization approach, we tested whether genetically increased remnant cholesterol in hypertriglyceridaemia due to genetic variation in the apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) associates...... with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI).Methods and resultsWe resequenced the core promoter and coding regions of APOA5 in individuals with the lowest 1% (n = 95) and highest 2% (n = 190) triglyceride levels in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS, n = 10 391). Genetic variants which differed...... in frequency between the two extreme triglyceride groups (c.-1131T > C, S19W, and c.*31C > T; P-value: 0.06 to...

  5. Expansion of the ipsilateral visual corticotectal projection in hamsters subjected to partial lesions of the visual cortex during infancy: anatomical experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhoades, R.W.

    1981-01-01

    Electrophysiological methods were employed to determine whether or not partial visual cortical lesions in neonatal (7--11-day) hamster produced large scotomas in the cortical visual representation. In cases where such scotomas were present electrophoretic deposits of radioactive amino acids in the visually responsive ''cortical remnant'' of the damaged hemisphere resulted in labelling throughout the lower portion of the stratum griseum superficiale and the stratum opticum of the ipsilateral superior colliculus. No differential labeling of the part of the colliculus which was topographically matched with the remaining visual representation in the cortical remnant was observed. In normal hamsters relatively localized, visual cortical deposits of radioactive amino acids resulted in superficial layer labeling only in portions of the colliculus which corresponded to the locus of the cortical deposit. In a similar fashion, small lesions at physiologically defined loci in the cortical remnant produced degeneration throughout most of the superficial tectal laminae, but a more restricted ''focus'' of denser degeneration was also visible in these cases. The position of this focus in the colliculus for a given cortical lesion varied with the nature of the visual map in the cortical remnant. In several additional neonatally brain-damaged hamsters large lesions of the visual cortex in the intact hemisphere were combined with radioactive amino acid deposits in the cortical remnant to determine whether or not axons from the crossed corticocollicular pathway previously demonstrated in such hamsters were intermingled with fibers from the ipsilateral corticotectal projection. In alternate sections processed for autoradiography or by the Fink-Heimer ('67) method autoradiographic label and degeneration argyrophilia were both observed in the medical part of the colliculus ipsilateral to the neonatal cortical lesion

  6. Effect of cascade remnants on freely migrating defects in Cu-1% Au alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iwase, A; Rehn, L E; Baldo, P M; Funk, L [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Materials Science Div.

    1997-03-01

    The effects of cascade remnants on Freely Migrating Defects (FMD) were studied by measuring Radiation-Induced Segregation (RIS) in Cu-1%Au at 400degC during simultaneous irradiation with 1.5-MeV He and (400-800)-keV heavy ions (Ne, Ar or Cu). The large RIS observed during 1.5-MeV He-only irradiation was dramatically suppressed under simultaneous heavy ion irradiation. For Cu simultaneous irradiation, the suppression disappeared immediately after the Cu irradiation ceased, while for simultaneous inert gas (Ne or Ar) irradiation, the suppression persisted after the ion beam was turned off. These results demonstrate that the displacement cascades created by heavy ions introduce additional annihilation sites, which reduce the steady-state FMD concentrations. As the cascade remnants produced by Cu ions are thermally unstable at 400degC, the RIS suppression occurs only during simultaneous irradiation. On the other hand, the inert gas atoms which accumulate in the specimen apparently stabilize the cascade remnants, allowing the suppression to persist. (author)

  7. Normalization of pH level and gastric mucosa after eradication of H. pylori in the remnant stomach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Shunji; Matsukura, Norio; Matsuda, Noriko; Tsuchiya, Shinichi; Naito, Zenya; Tajiri, Takashi

    2008-12-01

    The Updated Sydney System (USS) is used to evaluate chronic gastritis and chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) due to H. pylori infection. Here, we investigated USS scores and gastric juice pH levels in H. pylori infection-positive or -eradicated patients with remnant stomach after surgery. Gastric juice pH levels were measured using pH test-tape in 197 patients (112 H. pylori-positive and 85 H. pylori-negative after eradication) who had undergone distal gastrectomy and conventional H. pylori eradication therapy. In H. pylori infection-positive remnant stomach cases, gastric juice pH showed a reverse correlation with pepsinogen I/II ratio, and H. pylori infection-negative patients following eradication showed associations with the degree of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia at both the anastomosis and in the corpus. Further, pH levels in these patients were normalized time depending after the eradication in the remnant stomach. Eradication therapy for the remnant stomach contributes to the possible improvement of stomach conditions by controlling the pH level of gastric juice. This effect will be protective against the risk of secondary stomach carcinogenesis in the remnant stomach.

  8. Influence of Ionospheric Weather on GNSS Radio Occultation Signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, X.; Schreiner, W. S.; Pedatella, N. M.; Kuo, Y. H.

    2016-12-01

    Transient loss of lock (LOL) is one of the key space weather effects on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Based on the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) observations during 2007-2011, we have analyzed the signal cycle slip (CS) occurrence comprehensively and its correlation to the ionospheric weather phenomena such as sporadic E (Es), equatorial F region irregularity (EFI), and the ionospheric equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The high vertical resolution of RO observations enables us to distinguish the CS resulting from different ionospheric layers clearly on a global scale. In the E layer, the CS is dominated by the Es occurrence, while in the F layer, the CS is mainly related to the EIA and EFI at low and equatorial latitudes. In the polar region, the CS is primarily related to polar cap electron density gradients. The overall average CS (> 6 cycles) occurrence is 23% per occultation, with the E (50-150 km) and F (150-600 km) layers contributing 8.3% and 14.7%, respectively. Awareness of the effect of the ionospheric weather on the CS of the low-Earth-orbit (LEO)-based GNSS signal could be beneficial to a variety of applications, including the LEO-based GNSS data processing and the corresponding hardware/firmware design.

  9. The effect of solar radio bursts on the GNSS radio occultation signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Xinan; Schreiner, William S.; Kuo, Ying-Hwa; Zhao, Biqiang; Wan, Weixing; Ren, Zhipeng; Liu, Libo; Wei, Yong; Lei, Jiuhou; Solomon, Stan; Rocken, Christian

    2013-09-01

    radio burst (SRB) is the radio wave emission after a solar flare, covering a broad frequency range, originated from the Sun's atmosphere. During the SRB occurrence, some specific frequency radio wave could interfere with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and therefore disturb the received signals. In this study, the low Earth orbit- (LEO-) based high-resolution GNSS radio occultation (RO) signals from multiple satellites (COSMIC, CHAMP, GRACE, SAC-C, Metop-A, and TerraSAR-X) processed in University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) were first used to evaluate the effect of SRB on the RO technique. The radio solar telescope network (RSTN) observed radio flux was used to represent SRB occurrence. An extreme case during 6 December 2006 and statistical analysis during April 2006 to September 2012 were studied. The LEO RO signals show frequent loss of lock (LOL), simultaneous decrease on L1 and L2 signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) globally during daytime, small-scale perturbations of SNR, and decreased successful retrieval percentage (SRP) for both ionospheric and atmospheric occultations during SRB occurrence. A potential harmonic band interference was identified. Either decreased data volume or data quality will influence weather prediction, climate study, and space weather monitoring by using RO data during SRB time. Statistically, the SRP of ionospheric and atmospheric occultation retrieval shows ~4% and ~13% decrease, respectively, while the SNR of L1 and L2 show ~5.7% and ~11.7% decrease, respectively. A threshold value of ~1807 SFU of 1415 MHz frequency, which can result in observable GNSS SNR decrease, was derived based on our statistical analysis.

  10. Occult progression by Apc-deficient intestinal crypts as a target for chemoprevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liskay, R.Michael

    2014-01-01

    Although Apc mutation is widely considered an initiating event in colorectal cancer, little is known about the earliest stages of tumorigenesis following sporadic Apc loss. Therefore, we have utilized a novel mouse model that facilitates the sporadic inactivation of Apc via frameshift reversion of Cre in single, isolated cells and subsequently tracks the fates of Apc-deficient intestinal cells. Our results suggest that consistent with Apc being a ‘gatekeeper’, loss of Apc early in life during intestinal growth leads to adenomas or increased crypt fission, manifested by fields of mutant but otherwise normal-appearing crypts. In contrast, Apc loss occurring later in life has minimal consequences, with mutant crypts being less prone to either increased crypt fission or adenoma formation. Using the stem cell-specific Lgr5-CreER mouse, we generated different sized fields of Apc-deficient crypts via independent recombination events and found that field size correlates with progression to adenoma. To evaluate this early stage prior to adenoma formation as a therapeutic target, we examined the chemopreventive effects of sulindac on Apc-deficient occult crypt fission. We found that sulindac treatment started early in life inhibits the morphologically occult spread of Apc-deficient crypts and thus reduces adenoma numbers. Taken together these results suggest that: (i) earlier Apc loss promotes increased crypt fission, (ii) a field of Apc-deficient crypts, which can form via occult crypt fission or independent neighboring events, is an important intermediate between loss of Apc and adenoma formation and (iii) normal-appearing Apc-deficient crypts are potential unappreciated targets for cancer screening and chemoprevention. PMID:23996931

  11. Radioguided breast surgery for occult lesion localization – correlation between two methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gutfilen Bianca

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The detection of sub-clinical breast lesions has increased with screening mammography. Biopsy techniques can offer precision and agility in its execution, as well as patient comfort. This trial compares radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL and wire-guided localization (WL of breast lesions. We investigate if a procedure at the ambulatorial level (ROLL could lead to a better aesthetic result and less postoperative pain. In addition, we intend to demonstrate the efficacy of radioguided localization and removal of occult breast lesions using radiopharmaceuticals injected directly into the lesions and correlate radiological and histopathological findings. Methods One hundred and twenty patients were randomized into two groups (59 WL and 61 ROLL. The patients were requested to score the cosmetic appearance of their breast after surgery, and a numerical rating scale was used to measure pain on the first postoperative day. Clearance margins were considered at ≥ 10 mm for invasive cancer, ≥ 5 mm for ductal carcinoma in situ, and ≥ 1 mm for benign disease. Patients were subsequently treated according to the definitive histological result. When appropriate, different statistical tests were used in order to test the significance between the two groups, considering a P value Results WL and ROLL located all the occult breast lesions successfully. In the ROLL group, the specimen volume was smaller and there were more cases with clear margins (P Conclusion ROLL is an effective method for the excision of non-palpable breast lesions. It enables more careful planning of the cutaneous incision, leading to better aesthetic results, less postoperative symptoms, and smaller volumes of excised tissue.

  12. Atmospheric gravity wave detection following the 2011 Tohoku earthquakes combining COSMIC occultation and GPS observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, X.; Tao, Y.; Xia, C.; Qi, Y.; Zuo, X.

    2017-12-01

    Several studies have reported the earthquake-induced atmospheric gravity waves detected by some new technologies such as airglow (Makela et al., 2011), GOCE (Garcia et al., 2013), GRACE (Yang et al., 2014), F3/C radio occultation sounding (Coïsson et al., 2015). In this work, we collected all occultation events on 11 March, and selected four events to analyze at last. The original and filtered podTEC is represented as function of the altitude of the impact parameter and UT of the four events. Then, the travel time diagrams of filtered podTEC derived from the events were analyzed. The occultation signal from one event (marked as No.73) is consistent with the previous results reported by Coïsson. 2015, which is corresponds to the ionospheric signal induced from tsunami gravity wave. What is noticeable, in this work, is that three occultation events of No.403, 77 and 118 revealed a disturbance of atmospheric gravity wave with velocity 300m/s, preceding the tsunami. It would probably be correspond to the gravity waves caused by seismic rupture but not tsunami. In addition, it can be seen that the perturbation height of occultation observation TEC is concentrated at 200-400km, corresponding ionosphere F region. The signals detected above are compared with GPS measurements of TEC from GEONET and IGS. From GPS data, traveling ionospheric disturbances were observed spreading out from the epicenter as a quasi-circular propagation pattern with the time. Exactly, we observed an acoustic wave coupled with Rayleigh wave starting from the epicenter with a speed of 3.0km/s and a superimposed acoustic-gravity wave moving with a speed of 800m/s. The acoustic-gravity wave generated at the epicenter and gradually attenuated 800km away, then it is replaced by a gravity wave coupled with the tsunami that moves with a speed of between 100 and 300m/s. It is necessary to confirm the propagation process of the waves if we attempt to evaluate the use of ionospheric seismology as a

  13. A variational regularization of Abel transform for GPS radio occultation

    OpenAIRE

    T.-K. Wee

    2018-01-01

    In the Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) technique, the inverse Abel transform of measured bending angle (Abel inversion, hereafter AI) is the standard means of deriving the refractivity. While concise and straightforward to apply, the AI accumulates and propagates the measurement error downward. The measurement error propagation is detrimental to the refractivity in lower altitudes. In particular, it builds up negative refractivity bias in the tropical ...

  14. On neutron star/supernova remnant associations

    OpenAIRE

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    2000-01-01

    It is pointed out that a cavity supernova (SN) explosion of a moving massive star could result in a significant offset of the neutron star (NS) birth-place from the geometrical centre of the supernova remnant (SNR). Therefore: a) the high implied transverse velocities of a number of NSs (e.g. PSR B1610-50, PSR B1757-24, SGR0525-66) could be reduced; b) the proper motion vector of a NS should not necessarily point away from the geometrical centre of the associated SNR; c) the circle of possibl...

  15. Improved optical spectrophotometry of supernova remnants in M33

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blair, W. P.; Kirshner, R. P.

    1985-01-01

    Optical spectra of SNRs in M33 have been used to investigate abundance gradients and SNR evolution in this galaxy. Abundances of O, N, and S are derived from the spectra using new shock models by Dopita et al. (1984). The results for N and S show abundance gradients similar to those in NGC 300 and the Galaxy. The O abundances may be affected by possible contamination from H II regions and low-velocity shocks. Electron densities derived from the forbidden S II 6717 A/6731 A line ratio are used with a pressure equilibrium argument to estimate the initial explosion energy for each SNR. Evolutionary models for the remnants are investigated, and the distribution of the number of remnants with diameter is found to be consistent with free expansion of the SNRs to diameters of about 26 pc. The results may also be consistent with Sedov evolution if the ranges of initial supernova energies and surrounding interstellar medium densities are large enough.

  16. Sonographic swelling of pronator quadratus muscle in patients with occult bone injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Junko; Ishii, Yoshinori; Noguchi, Hideo; Toyabe, Shin-ichi

    2015-01-01

    The disarranged fat stripe of the pronator quadratus muscle (PQ) on radiographs (the PQ sign) is reported to be predictive of subtle bone fractures. This study aimed to report the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in the patients in whom bone injury was not radiographically detected around the wrist joint, and the PQ was sonographically swollen following acute trauma. We evaluated sonographically the PQ of 55 patients who showed normal radiographs following acute trauma. The sonographic appearance of the PQ was checked on both longitudinal and transverse images. On the longitudinal image, the probe was positioned along the flexor carpi radialis tendon. For the transverse image, we adopted the image of the same level in which the PQ of the unaffected hand showed maximal thickness. The PQ was considered to be swollen with disproportionate hyperechogenicity and/or thickening compared with the unaffected side at least in one of the two images. Of the 55 patients, 25 patients whose PQ was considered to be swollen underwent MRI study. PQ thickness in millimeters was retrospectively measured on longitudinal and transverse sonographic images. Twenty-three patients (92.0%) had occult bone injury, and two adult patients (8.0%) showed only wrist joint effusion on MRI. Among these 23, the distal radius was the most frequent location of the occult bone injury (20 patients; 9 [36.0%] with an occult fracture line and 11 [44.0%] with bone bruising). In longitudinal image, the mean value of the PQ thickness of affected hands was 6.2 (3.7–9.6 mm; standard deviation [SD], 1.5) and that of unaffected hands was 4.5 (2.3–6.7 mm; SD, 1.2), respectively. In transverse image, that of dominant and nondominant hands was 7.6 (4.6–13.2 mm; SD, 2.0) and 5.5 (3.6–7.5 mm; SD, 1.1), respectively. The mean difference in PQ thickness between affected and unaffected hands was 1.7 (0.1–5.0 mm; SD, 1.1) in longitudinal image and 2.0 (0.3–6.8 mm; SD, 1.7) in transverse image

  17. A Literature Review of Renal Surgical Anatomy and Surgical Strategies for Partial Nephrectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klatte, Tobias; Ficarra, Vincenzo; Gratzke, Christian; Kaouk, Jihad; Kutikov, Alexander; Macchi, Veronica; Mottrie, Alexandre; Porpiglia, Francesco; Porter, James; Rogers, Craig G; Russo, Paul; Thompson, R Houston; Uzzo, Robert G; Wood, Christopher G; Gill, Inderbir S

    2015-12-01

    A detailed understanding of renal surgical anatomy is necessary to optimize preoperative planning and operative technique and provide a basis for improved outcomes. To evaluate the literature regarding pertinent surgical anatomy of the kidney and related structures, nephrometry scoring systems, and current surgical strategies for partial nephrectomy (PN). A literature review was conducted. Surgical renal anatomy fundamentally impacts PN surgery. The renal artery divides into anterior and posterior divisions, from which approximately five segmental terminal arteries originate. The renal veins are not terminal. Variations in the vascular and lymphatic channels are common; thus, concurrent lymphadenectomy is not routinely indicated during PN for cT1 renal masses in the setting of clinically negative lymph nodes. Renal-protocol contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is used for standard imaging. Anatomy-based nephrometry scoring systems allow standardized academic reporting of tumor characteristics and predict PN outcomes (complications, remnant function, possibly histology). Anatomy-based novel surgical approaches may reduce ischemic time during PN; these include early unclamping, segmental clamping, tumor-specific clamping (zero ischemia), and unclamped PN. Cancer cure after PN relies on complete resection, which can be achieved by thin margins. Post-PN renal function is impacted by kidney quality, remnant quantity, and ischemia type and duration. Surgical renal anatomy underpins imaging, nephrometry scoring systems, and vascular control techniques that reduce global renal ischemia and may impact post-PN function. A contemporary ideal PN excises the tumor with a thin negative margin, delicately secures the tumor bed to maximize vascularized remnant parenchyma, and minimizes global ischemia to the renal remnant with minimal complications. In this report we review renal surgical anatomy. Renal mass imaging allows detailed delineation of the

  18. Splenectomy for Children With Thalassemia: Total or Partial Splenectomy, Open or Laparoscopic Splenectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Salem, Ahmed H

    2016-01-01

    Splenomegaly and hypersplenism are common complications among children with thalassemia necessitating splenectomy. Thirty-six children (27 β-thalassemia major, 3 Hb H disease, and 6 thalassemia intermediate) had total splenectomy (11 laparoscopic and 13 open splenectomy) or partial splenectomy (12 patients). In the partial splenectomy group, 2 with Hb H required no transfusions. For those with β-thalassemia major who had partial splenectomy (9 patients), there was a reduction in the number of transfusions from a preoperative mean of 15.2 transfusions per year to a postoperative mean of 8.2 transfusions per year. Subsequently and as a result of increase in the size of splenic remnant, their transfusions increased, but none required total splenectomy. Twenty-four patients had total splenectomy (13 open and 11 laparoscopic splenectomy). Their postsplenectomy transfusions decreased from a preoperative mean of 17.8 transfusions per year to a postoperative mean of 10 transfusions per year. There was no mortality, and none developed postoperative sepsis or thrombotic complications. Total splenectomy is beneficial for children with β-thalassemia major and hypersplenism by reducing their transfusion requirements. Laparoscopic splenectomy is however more beneficial. Partial splenectomy reduces their transfusion requirements, but only as a temporary measure, and so it is recommended for children younger than 5 years of age.

  19. Fluctuations of radio occultation signals in sounding the Earth's atmosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Kan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available We discuss the relationships that link the observed fluctuation spectra of the amplitude and phase of signals used for the radio occultation sounding of the Earth's atmosphere, with the spectra of atmospheric inhomogeneities. Our analysis employs the approximation of the phase screen and of weak fluctuations. We make our estimates for the following characteristic inhomogeneity types: (1 the isotropic Kolmogorov turbulence and (2 the anisotropic saturated internal gravity waves. We obtain the expressions for the variances of the amplitude and phase fluctuations of radio occultation signals as well as their estimates for the typical parameters of inhomogeneity models. From the GPS/MET observations, we evaluate the spectra of the amplitude and phase fluctuations in the altitude interval from 4 to 25 km in the middle and polar latitudes. As indicated by theoretical and experimental estimates, the main contribution into the radio signal fluctuations comes from the internal gravity waves. The influence of the Kolmogorov turbulence is negligible. We derive simple relationships that link the parameters of internal gravity waves and the statistical characteristics of the radio signal fluctuations. These results may serve as the basis for the global monitoring of the wave activity in the stratosphere and upper troposphere.

  20. Contribution of infrared observations to the study of supernovae remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Douvion, Thomas

    2000-01-01

    This research thesis addresses the study of dust in young supernovae remnants observed in middle infrared, mainly by means of the ISOCAM instrument installed on the ISO satellite. The author first presents the supernovae physics and the studied young remnants, describes dusts and the main sites of formation and destruction, and outlines the difficulties and benefits of observations performed in the middle infrared. Then, the author reports acquired evidences related to the formation of dusts in supernovae, and the search for a millimetre emission by cold dust contained in regions which are not yet excited by the shock, in order to better assess the overall quantities created by supernovae. He reports the use of observations of dust and neon in Cassiopeia A to perform a diagnosis on the mixture of elements during the supernovae explosion [fr

  1. Spectroscopic mapping of the physical properties of supernova remnant N 49

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauletti, D.; Copetti, M. V. F.

    2016-10-01

    Context. Physical conditions inside a supernova remnant can vary significantly between different positions. However, typical observational data of supernova remnants are integrated data or contemplate specific portions of the remnant. Aims: We study the spatial variation in the physical properties of the N 49 supernova remnant based on a spectroscopic mapping of the whole nebula. Methods: Long-slit spectra were obtained with the slit (~4' × 1.03″) aligned along the east-west direction from 29 different positions spaced by 2″ in declination. A total of 3248 1D spectra were extracted from sections of 2″ of the 2D spectra. More than 60 emission lines in the range 3550 Å to 8920 Å were measured in these spectra. Maps of the fluxes and of intensity ratios of these emission lines were built with a spatial resolution of 2″ × 2″. Results: An electron density map has been obtained using the [S II] λ6716 /λ6731 line ratio. Values vary from ~500 cm-3 at the northeast region to more than 3500 cm-3 at the southeast border. We calculated the electron temperature using line ratio sensors for the ions S+, O++, O+, and N+. Values are about 3.6 × 104 K for the O++ sensor and about 1.1 × 104 K for other sensors. The Hα/Hβ ratio map presents a ring structure with higher values that may result from collisional excitation of hydrogen. We detected an area with high values of [N II] λ6583/Hα extending from the remnant center to its northeastern border, which may be indicating an overabundance of nitrogen in the area due to contamination by the progenitor star. We found a radial dependence in many line intensity ratio maps. We observed an increase toward the remnant borders of the intensity ratio of any two lines in which the numerator comes before in the sequence [O III] λ5007, [O III] λ4363, [Ar III] λ7136, [Ne III] λ3869, [O II] λ7325, [O II] λ3727, He II λ4686, Hβ λ4861, [N II] λ6583, He I λ6678, [S II] λ6731, [S II] λ6716, [O I] λ6300, [Ca II]

  2. Prevalence, risk factors, and impact of isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and occult hepatitis B virus infection in HIV-1-infected pregnant women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khamduang, Woottichai; Ngo-Giang-Huong, Nicole; Gaudy-Graffin, Catherine; Jourdain, Gonzague; Suwankornsakul, Weerapong; Jarupanich, Tapnarong; Chalermpolprapa, Veeradate; Nanta, Sirisak; Puarattana-Aroonkorn, Noossara; Tonmat, Sakchai; Lallemant, Marc; Goudeau, Alain; Sirirungsi, Wasna

    2013-06-01

    Prevalence and risk factors for isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are not well known in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected pregnant women. It is unclear if women with occult infections are at risk of transmitting HBV to their infants. HIV-1-infected and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative pregnant women were tested for antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and anti-HBc using enzyme immunoassay. Women with isolated anti-HBc were assessed for occult HBV infection, defined as HBV DNA levels >15 IU/mL, using the Abbott RealTime HBV DNA assay. Infants born to women with isolated anti-HBc and detectable HBV DNA were tested at 4 months of age for HBV DNA. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with isolated anti-HBc and occult HBV infection. Among 1812 HIV-infected pregnant women, 1682 were HBsAg negative. Fourteen percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 12%-15%) of HBsAg-negative women had an isolated anti-HBc that was independently associated with low CD4 count, age >35 years, birth in northern Thailand, and positive anti-hepatitis C virus serology. Occult HBV infection was identified in 24% (95% CI, 18%-30%) of women with isolated anti-HBc, representing 2.6% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.5%) of HIV-1-infected pregnant women, and was inversely associated with HIV RNA levels. None of the women with isolated anti-HBc and occult HBV infection transmitted HBV to their infants. HIV-1-infected pregnant women with isolated anti-HBc and occult HBV infection have very low HBV DNA levels and are thus at very low risk to transmit HBV to their infants.

  3. Radioiodine remnant ablation in differentiated thyroid cancer after combined endogenous and exogenous TSH stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vrachimis, A; Schober, O; Riemann, B

    2012-01-01

    Radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) after (near-)total thyroidectomy (TE) is a key element in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The use of exogenous TSH stimulation (rhTSH) prior to RRA has shown promising results as compared to conventional thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW). As yet, the efficacy of RRA after brief THW and single rhTSH administration has not been assessed. The study sample comprised 147 patients with DTC referred to our center between May 2008 and September 2010. All patients received TE with subsequent RRA. None of these 147 patients had evidence of distant metastasis. 93 patients had endogenous TSH stimulation 4-5 weeks after surgery (group I) and twenty-six received two rhTSH injections (group II). 28 patients were treated with a single rhTSH injection after a brief THW (group III). RRA-Efficacy was assessed three months after therapy by diagnostic whole-body scan and measurement of the tumour marker thyroglobulin (Tg) under TSH stimulation. Three categories of success were defined for remnant ablation. Based on the definition of successful remnant ablation no visible uptake and a Tg ≤ 2.0 ng/ml (category 1) was seen in 62/93 patients in group I, in 17/26 patients in group II (p = n.s.) and in 12/28 patients in group III (p 2.0 ng/ml (category 3) was found in 3/93 patients in group I and 1/26 patients in group II but in no patient in group III. The third strategy of remnant ablation using a single injection of rhTSH after a brief THW period resulted in a significant higher rate of patients with residual uptake in the thyroid bed and a Tg level below 2 ng/ml three months after remnant ablation in comparison to THW. However, the overall efficacy of the third protocol was not significantly different as compared to two rhTSH injections. Under the aspect of the supply shortage of rhTSH the combined endogenous and exogenous TSH stimulation may be an attractive alternative for remnant ablation in differentiated thyroid cancer.

  4. Combined parathyroid adenoma and an occult papillary carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meshikhes, Abdul-Wahid N.; Al-Saihati, Basima A.; Butt, Mohammad S.

    2004-01-01

    Although the pathological association of thyroid and parathyroid disease is common, the association of both parathyroid adenoma and thyroid cancer is rare. We report here a case of a 45-year-old saudi women who diagnosed to have primary hyperparathyrodism due to single parathyroid adenoma as confirmed biochemically and radiologically. At operation, the adenoma was found to be an intrathyroid and therefore a thyroid lobectomy was performed. Histology of the excised lobe revealed in addition to the intrathyroid parathyroid adenoma a concurrent occult thyroid papillary carcinoma. The interesting association is discussed based on a literature review. (author)

  5. MR imaging of occult fractures of the knee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mink, J.H.; Deutsch, A.L.

    1988-01-01

    The authors encountered 65 radiographically occult fractures that they classified into five types. Bone bruises were a result of direct trauma or were associated with ligamentous injury. They were characterized by geographic foci of decreased signal on short repetition time (TR), short echo time (TE) sequences. Stress fractures were linear or globular foci of low signal on short TR, short TE sequences. Osteochondral fractures were displaced or impacted types; the latter were often associated with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Tibial fractures were minimally displaced, vertically oriented fractures extending into the plateaus. Femoral fractures were Y-shaped, extending across the supracondylar region

  6. MULTI-WAVELENGTH ANALYSIS OF THE GALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANT MSH 11-61A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Auchettl, Katie; Slane, Patrick; Foster, Adam R.; Smith, Randall K. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Castro, Daniel [MIT-Kavli Center for Astrophysics and Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Due to its centrally bright X-ray morphology and limb brightened radio profile, MSH 11–61A (G290.1–0.8) is classified as a mixed morphology supernova remnant (SNR). H i and CO observations determined that the SNR is interacting with molecular clouds found toward the north and southwest regions of the remnant. In this paper we report on the detection of γ-ray emission coincident with MSH 11–61A, using 70 months of data from the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. To investigate the origin of this emission, we perform broadband modeling of its non-thermal emission considering both leptonic and hadronic cases and concluding that the γ-ray emission is most likely hadronic in nature. Additionally we present our analysis of a 111 ks archival Suzaku observation of this remnant. Our investigation shows that the X-ray emission from MSH 11–61A arises from shock-heated ejecta with the bulk of the X-ray emission arising from a recombining plasma, while the emission toward the east arises from an ionizing plasma.

  7. The evolving instability of the remnant Larsen B Ice Shelf and its tributary glaciers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khazendar, Ala; Borstad, Christopher P.; Scheuchl, Bernd; Rignot, Eric; Seroussi, Helene

    2015-06-01

    Following the 2002 disintegration of the northern and central parts of the Larsen B Ice Shelf, the tributary glaciers of the southern surviving part initially appeared relatively unchanged and hence assumed to be buttressed sufficiently by the remnant ice shelf. Here, we modify this perception with observations from IceBridge altimetry and InSAR-inferred ice flow speeds. Our analyses show that the surfaces of Leppard and Flask glaciers directly upstream from their grounding lines lowered by 15 to 20 m in the period 2002-2011. The thinning appears to be dynamic as the flow of both glaciers and the remnant ice shelf accelerated in the same period. Flask Glacier started accelerating even before the 2002 disintegration, increasing its flow speed by ∼55% between 1997 and 2012. Starbuck Glacier meanwhile did not change much. We hypothesize that the different evolutions of the three glaciers are related to their dissimilar bed topographies and degrees of grounding. We apply numerical modeling and data assimilation that show these changes to be accompanied by a reduction in the buttressing afforded by the remnant ice shelf, a weakening of the shear zones between its flow units and an increase in its fracture. The fast flowing northwestern part of the remnant ice shelf exhibits increasing fragmentation, while the stagnant southeastern part seems to be prone to the formation of large rifts, some of which we show have delimited successive calving events. A large rift only 12 km downstream from the grounding line is currently traversing the stagnant part of the ice shelf, defining the likely front of the next large calving event. We propose that the flow acceleration, ice front retreat and enhanced fracture of the remnant Larsen B Ice Shelf presage its approaching demise.

  8. Nucleated regeneration of semiarid sclerophyllous forests close to remnant vegetation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fuentes-Castillo, T.; Miranda, A.; Rivera-Hutinel, A.; Smith-Ramirez, C.; Holmgren, M.

    2012-01-01

    Natural regeneration of mediterranean plant communities has proved difficult in all continents. In this paper we assess whether regeneration of sclerophyllous forests shows nucleated patterns indicative of a positive effect of vegetation remnants at the landscape level and compare the regeneration

  9. Inverted Meckel's diverticulum as a cause of occult lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Omar M Rashid; Joseph K Ku; Masayuki Nagahashi; Akimitsu Yamada; Kazuaki Takabe

    2012-01-01

    Meckel's diverticulum is a common asymptomatic congenital gastrointestinal anomaly,but rarely it can present with hemorrhage.Over the last few years inverted Meckel's diverticulum has been reported in the literature with increasing frequency as an occult source of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage.Here,we report a case of a 54-year-old male,who was referred for surgical evaluation with persistent anemia and occult blood per rectum after a work up which failed to localize the source over 12 mo,including upper and capsule endoscopy,colonoscopy,enteroclysis,Meckel scan,and tagged nuclear red blood cell scan.An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a possible mid-ileal intussusception and intraluminal mass.During the abdominal exploration,inverted Meckel's diverticulum was diagnosed and resected.We review the literature,discuss the forms in which the disease presents,the diagnostic modalities utilized,pathological findings,and treatment.Although less than 40 cases have been reported in the English literature from 1978 to 2005,19 cases have been reported in the last 6 years alone (2006-2012) due to improved diagnostic modalities.Successful diagnosis and treatment of this disease requires a high index of clinical suspicion,which is becoming increasingly relevant to general gastroenterologists.

  10. The use of 111In-labelled platelets for scintigraphic localization of gastrointestinal bleeding with special reference to occult bleeding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gjerloeff Schmidt, K.; Waever Rasmussen, J.; Grove, O.; Andersen, D.

    1986-01-01

    Gamma-camera imaging of the abdomen after injection of autologous 111 In-labelled platelets was applied for localization of gastrointestinal bleeding in a study of 22 patients. In 15 studies showing scintigraphic signs of bleeding, the clinical presentation included occult bleeding in 6, melaena in 4, and bloody stools in 5 patients. Scintigraphy could be done repeatedly for up to 1 week after a single tracer injection. The time interval between the injection and scintigraphic visualization of bleeding ranged from 10 min to 68 h, being longest in cases of occult bleeding. In most cases the scintigraphic findings were supported by other diagnostic modalities, including surgical removal of presumed sources of bleeding. In seven studies without scintigraphic signs of bleeding, a probable source of bleeding was identified by other means in one patient. The 111 In-platelet method seems to be a promising method for localization of gastrointestinal bleeding which may prove particularly useful in cases of occult or recurrent bleeding

  11. Radio scintillations observed during atmospheric occultations of Voyager: Internal gravity waves at Titan and magnetic field orientations at Jupiter and Saturn. Ph.D. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, D. P.

    1983-01-01

    The refractive index of planetary atmospheres at microwave frequencies is discussed. Physical models proposed for the refractive irregularities in the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere serve to characterize the atmospheric scattering structures, and are used subsequently to compute theoretical scintillation spectra for comparison with the Voyager occultation measurements. A technique for systematically analyzing and interpreting the signal fluctuations observed during planetary occultations is presented and applied to process the dual-wavelength data from the Voyager radio occultations by Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan. Results concerning the plasma irregularities in the upper ionospheres of Jupiter and Saturn are reported. The measured orientation of the irregularities is used to infer the magnetic field direction at several locations in the ionospheres of these two planets; the occultation measurements conflict with the predictions of Jovian magnetic field models, but generally confirm current models of Saturn's field. Wave parameters, including the vertical fluxes of energy and momentum, are estimated, and the source of the internal gravity waves discovered in Titan's upper atmosphere is considered.

  12. Clinical relevance of occult tumor cells in lymph nodes from gastric cancer patients.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Doekhie, F.S.; Mesker, W.H.; Krieken, J.H.J.M. van; Kok, N.F.; Hartgrink, H.H.; Kranenbarg, E.K.; Putter, H.; Kuppen, P.J.; Tanke, H.J.; Tollenaar, R.A.E.M.; Velde, C.J. van de

    2005-01-01

    The current method for staging in gastric cancer is not sufficient as even after a complete primary tumor resection, patients with node-negative gastric cancer suffer from disease recurrence. In this study, the relation between disease recurrence and the presence of occult tumor cells (OTC) in lymph

  13. Evaluation of Refractivity Profiles from CHAMP and SAC-C GPS Radio Occultation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poli, Paul; Ao, Chi On; Joiner, Joanna; delaTorreJuarez, Manuel; Hoff, Raymond

    2002-01-01

    The GeoForschungsZentrum's Challenging Minisatellite Payload for Geophysical Research and Application (CHAMP, Germany-US) and the Comision Nacional de Actividades Especiales' Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-C (SAC-C, Argentina-US) missions are the first missions to carry a second-generation Blackjack Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. One of the new features of this receiver is its ability to sense the lower troposphere closer to the surface than the proof-of-concept GPS Meteorology experiment (GPS/MET). Since their launch, CHAMP and SAC-C have collected thousands of GPS radio occultations, representing a wealth of measurements available for data assimilation and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). In order to evaluate the refractivity data derived by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from raw radio occultation measurements, we use Data Assimilation Office (DAO) 6-hour forecasts as an independent state of the atmosphere. We compare CHAMP and SAC-C refractivity (processed by JPL) with refractivity calculated from the DAO global fields of temperature, water vapor content and humidity. We show statistics of the differences as well as histograms of the differences.

  14. Right upper-quadrant pain in a patient with drug abuse, secondary syphilis and occult hepatitis B virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fielding, Cory M; Angulo, Paul

    2014-01-01

    To describe the etiology of hepatitis and identify occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A 40-year-old man presented with severe abdominal pain and jaundice, a history of acute HBV infection that had cleared as well as the use of acetaminophen, methamphetamine, buprenorphine and marijuana. He admitted to having had unprotected sex with multiple partners of both genders. A thorough skin examination revealed papulosquamous lesions on his penis, scrotum, upper and lower extremities and feet. Transaminases and bilirubin were elevated. His rapid plasma reagin was reactive, and hepatitis serologies showed occult HBV. Liver biopsy showed severe hepatitis, but the stains for hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antigen were negative. The pathological findings were highly indicative of drug-induced hepatitis without evidence of chronic hepatitis, reactivation of HBV or syphilitic hepatitis. With supportive management and abstinence from drugs, his condition improved. This case describes a patient with multiple potential causes for hepatitis and highlights the importance of obtaining a detailed social history. Further, one should consider the presence of occult HBV and recognize the serologic pattern. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  15. Endoscopic Follow-Up of Positive Fecal Occult Blood Testing in the Ontario FOBT Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawrence Paszat

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Ontario FOBT Project is a pilot study of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT for colorectal cancer screening conducted among age-eligible volunteers (50 to 75 years in 12 of 37 public health regions in Ontario.

  16. Noninvasive Prenatal Testing and Incidental Detection of Occult Maternal Malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, Diana W; Chudova, Darya; Sehnert, Amy J; Bhatt, Sucheta; Murray, Kathryn; Prosen, Tracy L; Garber, Judy E; Wilkins-Haug, Louise; Vora, Neeta L; Warsof, Stephen; Goldberg, James; Ziainia, Tina; Halks-Miller, Meredith

    2015-07-14

    Understanding the relationship between aneuploidy detection on noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and occult maternal malignancies may explain results that are discordant with the fetal karyotype and improve maternal clinical care. To evaluate massively parallel sequencing data for patterns of copy-number variations that might prospectively identify occult maternal malignancies. Case series identified from 125,426 samples submitted between February 15, 2012, and September 30, 2014, from asymptomatic pregnant women who underwent plasma cell-free DNA sequencing for clinical prenatal aneuploidy screening. Analyses were conducted in a clinical laboratory that performs DNA sequencing. Among the clinical samples, abnormal results were detected in 3757 (3%); these were reported to the ordering physician with recommendations for further evaluation. NIPT for fetal aneuploidy screening (chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y). Detailed genome-wide bioinformatics analysis was performed on available sequencing data from 8 of 10 women with known cancers. Genome-wide copy-number changes in the original NIPT samples and in subsequent serial samples from individual patients when available are reported. Copy-number changes detected in NIPT sequencing data in the known cancer cases were compared with the types of aneuploidies detected in the overall cohort. From a cohort of 125,426 NIPT results, 3757 (3%) were positive for 1 or more aneuploidies involving chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, or Y. From this set of 3757 samples, 10 cases of maternal cancer were identified. Detailed clinical and sequencing data were obtained in 8. Maternal cancers most frequently occurred with the rare NIPT finding of more than 1 aneuploidy detected (7 known cancers among 39 cases of multiple aneuploidies by NIPT, 18% [95% CI, 7.5%-33.5%]). All 8 cases that underwent further bioinformatics analysis showed unique patterns of nonspecific copy-number gains and losses across multiple chromosomes. In 1 case, blood was

  17. Post traumatic urinary extravasation in occult urinary obstruction: Report of three cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyoti Bothra

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Urinary extravastion after blunt abdominal trauma is seen often and generally treated conservatively. However a blunt renal trauma causing huge amount of extravasations and symptoms disproportionate to the severity of trauma should alarm the surgeon towards an underlying occult renal pathology usually an obstruction. In this case series, we share three such experiences and their management.

  18. GPS radio occultation technique for measurement of the atmosphere above tropical cyclones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Neubert, Torsten; Syndergaard, Stig

    2009-01-01

    Water vapour transport to the upper troposphere (UT) and lower stratosphere (LS) by deep convective storms affects the radiation balance of the atmosphere and has been proposed as an important component of climate change. The aim of the work presented here is to understand if the GPS Radio Occult...... 2008 and reached a maximum intensity of Category 3....

  19. Ten years of experience with third and fourth branchial remnants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liberman, Moishe; Kay, Saundra; Emil, Sherif; Flageole, Hélène; Nguyen, Luong T; Tewfik, Ted L; Oudjhane, Kamal; Laberge, Jean-Martin

    2002-05-01

    Third and fourth branchial remnants may result in cysts and abscesses that are in close contact with the thyroid gland. These anomalies are rare and often present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The charts of patients diagnosed with a branchial anomaly between July 1991 and July 2001 at the Montreal Children's Hospital were reviewed. All cases of third and fourth branchial remnants or pyriform sinus fistulae were identified. Clinical presentation, imaging, treatment, and outcome were recorded. Eight patients with a third or fourth branchial anomaly were identified and ranged in age from birth to 13 years. All anomalies were left sided. Presenting symptoms consisted of an asymptomatic cervical mass (n = 1), an infected mass (n = 5), neonatal respiratory distress (n = 1), and 1 incidental cyst found on magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasonography was useful in suggesting the diagnosis in 7 cases. Barium swallow was performed in 3 patients with 2 positive results. Pharyngoscopy results showed the internal opening in 2 of 7 patients. A portion of the thyroid gland was resected in 6 patients. One patient has not yet undergone a definitive procedure. There was 1 recurrence in a patient whose pathology did not confirm a branchial remnant. The diagnosis and management of pyriform sinus anomalies are challenging. Ultrasound scan, computed tomography scan, barium swallow, and pharyngoscopy are all useful. The portion of thyroid involved in the fistula must be excised en bloc with the inflammatory mass, and the tract should be ligated at the level of the pharynx to minimize recurrence. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

  20. Multi-dimensional simulations of the expanding supernova remnant of SN 1987A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Potter, T. M.; Staveley-Smith, L. [International center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Reville, B. [Center for Plasma Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Ng, C.-Y. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Bicknell, G. V.; Sutherland, R. S. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia); Wagner, A. Y., E-mail: tobympotter@gmail.com [Center for Computational Sciences, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577 (Japan)

    2014-10-20

    The expanding remnant from SN 1987A is an excellent laboratory for investigating the physics of supernovae explosions. There is still a large number of outstanding questions, such as the reason for the asymmetric radio morphology, the structure of the pre-supernova environment, and the efficiency of particle acceleration at the supernova shock. We explore these questions using three-dimensional simulations of the expanding remnant between days 820 and 10,000 after the supernova. We combine a hydrodynamical simulation with semi-analytic treatments of diffusive shock acceleration and magnetic field amplification to derive radio emission as part of an inverse problem. Simulations show that an asymmetric explosion, combined with magnetic field amplification at the expanding shock, is able to replicate the persistent one-sided radio morphology of the remnant. We use an asymmetric Truelove and McKee progenitor with an envelope mass of 10 M {sub ☉} and an energy of 1.5 × 10{sup 44} J. A termination shock in the progenitor's stellar wind at a distance of 0.''43-0.''51 provides a good fit to the turn on of radio emission around day 1200. For the H II region, a minimum distance of 0.''63 ± 0.''01 and maximum particle number density of (7.11 ± 1.78) × 10{sup 7} m{sup –3} produces a good fit to the evolving average radius and velocity of the expanding shocks from day 2000 to day 7000 after explosion. The model predicts a noticeable reduction, and possibly a temporary reversal, in the asymmetric radio morphology of the remnant after day 7000, when the forward shock left the eastern lobe of the equatorial ring.

  1. Pluto occultation on 2015 June 29 UTC with central flash and atmospheric spikes just before the New Horizons flyby

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasachoff, Jay M.; Babcock, Bryce A.; Durst, Rebecca F.; Seeger, Christina H.; Levine, Stephen E.; Bosh, Amanda S.; Person, Michael J.; Sickafoose, Amanda A.; Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Kosiarek, Molly R.; Abe, Fumio; Nagakane, Masayuki; Suzuki, Daisuke; Tristram, Paul J.; Arredondo, Anicia

    2017-11-01

    We observed the occultation by Pluto of a 12th magnitude star, one of the two brightest occultation stars ever in our dozen years of continual monitoring of Pluto's atmosphere through such studies, on 2015 June 29 UTC. At the Univ. of Canterbury Mt. John Observatory (New Zealand), under clear skies throughout, we used a POETS frame-transfer CCD at 10 Hz with GPS timing on the 1-m McLellan telescope as well as an infrared camera on an 0.6-m telescope and three-color photometry at a slower cadence on a second 0.6-m telescope. At the Auckland Observatory, we used a POETS and a PICO on 0.5-m and 0.4-m telescopes, with 0.4 s and 2 s cadences, respectively, obtaining ingress observations before clouds moved in. The Mt. John light curves show a central flash, indicating that we were close to the center of the occultation path. Analysis of our light curves show that Pluto's atmosphere remains robust. The presence of spikes at both sites in the egress and ingress shows atmospheric layering. We coordinated our observations with aircraft observations (Bosh et al., 2017) with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Our chords helped constrain the path across Pluto that SOFIA saw. Our ground-based and airborne stellar-occultation effort came only just over two weeks of Earth days and two Pluto days before the flyby of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft.

  2. Sleeve Gastrectomy: Correlation of Long-Term Results with Remnant Morphology and Eating Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tassinari, Daniele; Berta, Rossana D; Nannipieri, Monica; Giusti, Patrizia; Di Paolo, Luca; Guarino, Daniela; Anselmino, Marco

    2017-11-01

    Remnant dimension is considered one of the crucial elements determining the success of sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and dilation of the gastric fundus is often believed to be the main cause of failure. The main outcome of this study is to find correlations between remnant morphology in the immediate post-operative stage, its dilation in years, and the long-term results. The second purpose aims to correlate preoperative eating disorders, taste alteration, hunger perception, and early satiety with post-SG results. Remnant morphology was evaluated, in the immediate post-operative stage and over the years (≥2 years), through X-ray of the oesophagus-stomach-duodenum calculating the surface in anteroposterior (AP) and right anterior oblique projection (RAO). Presurgery diagnosis of eating disorders and their evaluation through "Eating Disorder Inventory-3" (EDI3) during follow-up were performed. Change in taste perception, sense of appetite, and early satiety were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: "failed SGs (EWL50%). There were a total of 50 patients (37 F, 13 M), with mean age 52 years, preoperative weight 131 ± 21.8 kg, and BMI 47.4 ± 6.8 kg/m 2 . Post-operative remnant mean dimensions overlapped between the two groups. On a long-term basis, an increase of 57.2 and 48.4% was documented in the AP and RAO areas respectively. In "failed" SGs, dilation was significantly superior to "efficient" SGs (AP area 70.2 vs 46.1%; RAO area 59.3 vs 39%; body width 102% vs 41.7%). Preoperative eating disorders were more present in efficient SGs than in failed SGs with the exception of sweet eating. There were no significant changes to taste perception during follow-up. Fifty-two percent of efficient SGs vs 26% of failed SGs reported a persistent lack of sense of hunger; similarly, 92.5 vs 78% declared the persistence of a sense of early satiety. The two groups did not statistically differ as far as all the variables of the EDI3 are concerned. On a long

  3. The Derivation of Scandinavian Object Shift and Remnant VP-Topicalisation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engels, Eva; Vikner, Sten

    2013-01-01

    Based on the examination of remnant VP-topicalization constructions, this chapter argues for an order preservation analysis to Scandinavian Object Shift. Reviewing Fox and Pesetsky’s (2003, 2005) cyclic linearization approach and extending the empirical data base, we show that the phenomena are b...

  4. Dynamical study of merger remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lake, G.; Dressler, A.; ATandT Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ; Mount Wilson and Las Campanas Observatories, Pasadena, CA; Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC)

    1986-01-01

    The velocity dispersion of objects from the Arp and the Arp-Madore atlases that have characteristics of recently merged galaxies is measured. These data are used to test the hypothesis that the remnants become normal elliptical galaxies after the fireworks of recent star formation subside. Accurate velocity dispersions of objects dominated by Balmer lines in the blue were measured using the uncontaminated Ca triplet feature in the extreme red (8400-8700 A). No deviation from the velocity dispersion expected for elliptical galaxies of comparable luminosity, is found, e.g., these systems follow the usual L-sigma relation with no zero-point shift. For a few galaxies without Balmer contamination, stellar rotation velocities are determined. One slow, one moderate, and one fast rotator are found. 54 references

  5. Immunochemical faecal occult blood tests have superior stability and analytical performance characteristics over guaiac-based tests in a controlled in vitro study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Lee, Chun Seng

    2011-06-01

    The aims of this study were (1) to determine the measurement accuracy of a widely used guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) compared with an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) during in vitro studies, including their analytical stability over time at ambient temperature and at 4°C; and (2) to compare analytical imprecision and other characteristics between two commercially available iFOBT methods.

  6. Indeling occulte tumorcellen in de lymfklieren bij patiënten met darmkanker onvoldoende betrouwbaar

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Zaag, E. S.; Welling, L.; Peters, H. M.; van de Vijver, M. J.; Bemelman, W. A.; Buskens, C. J.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess interobserver agreement between pathologists in judging photographs of lymph node preparations of occult tumour cells of patients with colon cancer. DESIGN: Descriptive and comparative study of interobserver variability. METHODS: All lymph nodes of 82 pN0 patients with colon

  7. Diagnosis of occult abdominal abscesses using radioisotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, B.; Schroth, H.J.; Wolf, N.; Wilhelm, H.; Universitaet des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar

    1983-01-01

    Occult intraperitoneal abscesses are difficult to localize and dispose of. Therefore, a method of examination is needed that is specific, can be used at any time, is not expensive, and yields early results within 2-3 h. This seems possible with a new method of examination. sup(99m)Tc-Sn-colloid was used to label autologous polymorphonuclear leukocytes which, when reinjected, emigrate to the site of the suspected abscess. Standard scintigraphy localizes the labeled inflammatory cells. Scans were performed in 57 surgical patients with good results. 23 (40,4%) patients had true negative results; 28 (49,1%) scans represented intraperitoneal abscesses; 5 (8,8%) scans demonstrated true positive extraperitoneal inflammations. Only 1 (1,7%) scan was false positive. (orig.) [de

  8. Diagnosis of an isolated occult fracture of the posterior margin of the tibia with the SPECT/CT; Diagnostic d'une fracture occulte isolee de la marge posterieure du tibia par la TEMP-TDM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bourdon, A.; Granier, P.; Mourad, M. [Centre Hospitalier de Carcassonne Antoine-Gayraud, Service de Medecine Nucleaire, 11 - Carcassonne (France)

    2007-12-15

    We report the case of a 56-year-old woman, investigated for pains of the right ankle related to a trauma of an unspecified mechanism. The radiographic assessment was negative. The {sup 99m}Tc-HDP 3-phase bone scintigraphy highlighted, on the blood pool and the delayed images, a located lesion on the right ankle. The single photon emission computerized tomography guided by computerized tomography (SPECT-CT) showed a focused uptake on the posterior margin of the right tibia and a sharp lucent line within the tomo-scintigraphy spot of uptake. The diagnosis accepted was an isolated occult fracture of the posterior margin of the right tibia. The contribution of the {sup 99m}Tc-HDP 3-phase bone scintigraphy combined with the SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of the occult fractures is discussed. (N.C.)

  9. Atmospheric Drag, Occultation ‘N’ Ionospheric Scintillation (ADONIS mission proposal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hettrich Sebastian

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Atmospheric Drag, Occultation ‘N’ Ionospheric Scintillation mission (ADONIS studies the dynamics of the terrestrial thermosphere and ionosphere in dependency of solar events over a full solar cycle in Low Earth Orbit (LEO. The objectives are to investigate satellite drag with in-situ measurements and the ionospheric electron density profiles with radio occultation and scintillation measurements. A constellation of two satellites provides the possibility to gain near real-time data (NRT about ionospheric conditions over the Arctic region where current coverage is insufficient. The mission shall also provide global high-resolution data to improve assimilative ionospheric models. The low-cost constellation can be launched using a single Vega rocket and most of the instruments are already space-proven allowing for rapid development and good reliability. From July 16 to 25, 2013, the Alpbach Summer School 2013 was organised by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG, the European Space Agency (ESA, the International Space Science Institute (ISSI and the association of Austrian space industries Austrospace in Alpbach, Austria. During the workshop, four teams of 15 students each independently developed four different space mission proposals on the topic of “Space Weather: Science, Missions and Systems”, supported by a team of tutors. The present work is based on the mission proposal that resulted from one of these teams’ efforts.

  10. Outcome of early detection and radiotherapy for occult spinal cord compression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venkitaraman, Ramachandran; Barbachano, Yolanda; Dearnaley, David P.; Parker, Christopher C.; Khoo, Vincent; Huddart, Robert A.; Eeles, Rosalind; Horwich, Alan; Aslam Sohaib, S.

    2007-01-01

    Retrospective analysis in 150 patients with metastatic prostate cancer was conducted to determine whether early detection with MRI spine and treatment of clinically occult spinal cord compromise (SCC) facilitate preservation of neurologic function. Our results suggest that prophylactic radiotherapy for patients with back pain or radiological SCC without neurologic deficit may facilitate preservation of neurologic function. Thus MRI surveillance for SCC may be important for prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

  11. Clinical features of secondary glaucoma caused by lens suspensory ligament laxity or occult subluxation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Ma

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the clinical characteristics of secondary glaucoma caused by lens suspensory ligament laxity or occult subluxation, and to analyze the influence of operation on visual acuity and intraocular pressure(IOP. METHODS: Totally 38 cases(38 eyesof the secondary glaucoma caused by lens suspensory ligament laxity or occult subluxation in ophthalmology department of our hospital from December 2014 to December 2016 were enrolled and their medical records were analyzed retrospectively to observe the clinical characteristics of glaucoma. Preoperative mydriasis was carried out and surgical methods were chosen according to the lenses location and extent of suspensory ligament. Preoperative and postoperative anterior chamber depth, corneal endothelial cell density, IOP, visual field, visual acuity and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: The average intraocular pressure was 18.17±1.43mmHg at postoperatively 10d, which was significantly lower than 38.77±2.45mmHg before operation, the difference had statistical significance(PP>0.05. The postoperative anterior chamber depth was 2.45±0.44mm, which was significantly higher than 1.23±0.35mm before operation, the difference had statistical significance(P2 and decreased significantly, compared with 1735.32±340.32/mm2 before operation, the difference had statistical significance(PCONCLUSION: Clinical symptoms and signs of secondary glaucoma in patients with lens suspensory ligament laxity or occult subluxation are more complex, which needs to be distinguished with other types of glaucoma in clinical treatment, and its surgical methods shall be chosen according to different suspensory ligament site and lens subluxation scope.

  12. A physical interpretation of the jet-like X-ray emission from supernova remnant W49B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miceli, M.; Miceli, M.; Decourchelle, A.; Ballet, J.; Miceli, M.; Bocchino, F.; Hughes, J.; Hwang, U.; Hwang, U.; Petre, R.

    2008-01-01

    In the framework of the study of supernova remnants and their complex interaction with the interstellar medium and the circumstellar material, we focus on the galactic supernova remnant W49B. Its morphology exhibits an X-ray bright elongated nebula, terminated on its eastern end by a sharp perpendicular structure aligned with the radio shell. The X-ray spectrum of W49B is characterized by strong K emission lines from Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe. There is a variation of the temperature in the remnant with the highest temperature found in the eastern side and the lowest one in the western side. The analysis of the recent observations of W49B indicates that the remnant may be the result of an asymmetric bipolar explosion where the ejecta are collimated along a jet-like structure and the eastern jet is hotter and more Fe-rich than the western one. Another possible scenario associates the X-ray emission with a spherical explosion where parts of the ejecta are interacting with a dense belt of ambient material. To overcome this ambiguity we present new results of the analysis of an XMM-Newton observation and we perform estimates of the mass and energy of the remnant. We conclude that the scenario of an anisotropic jet-like explosion explains quite naturally our observation results, but the association of W49B with a hyper-nova and a gamma-ray burst, although still possible, is not directly supported by any evidence. (authors)

  13. Clinical presentations and MRI findings of angiographically occult vascular malformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kida, Yoshihisa; Kobayashi, Tatsuya; Tanaka, Takayuki; Oyama, Hirofumi; Iwakoshi, Takayasu

    1994-01-01

    Various clinical features as well as MRI findings of AOVM (angiographically occult vascular malformation) were studied. Amongst out patients, since January 1988, there have been 30 cases of symptomatic AOVM (20 males, 10 females) including 4 cases with multiple lesions. The age ranged from 3 to 60 years of age, with a mean of 33.4 years. The locations of symptomatic lesions were in the cerebral hemisphere (15), the thalamus (4), the brain stem (8) and in the cerebellum (3). The initial presentations of these 30 cases were either by hemorrhage (18), convulsive seizure (9) or by progressive neurological deficits (3). The initial presentation was not related to the patient's age and the size of the lesion, but apparently related to the location of AOVM. Most of the lesions in the cerebral hemisphere presented seizures, but all of the lesions in the thalamus, the brain stem and the cerebellum disclosed hemorrhage as an initial presentation. In fact it was noticed that brain stem lesions tend to cause repetitive hemorrhage in a relatively short period. AOVM lesions were clearly visualized with T2-weighted MRI images, consisting of high intensity cores with surrounding low intensity rims. Most of the symptomatic lesions were partially enhanced by Gd-DTPA with varied intensity. Dynamic changes in size and enhancement pattern on MRI were occasionally seen, usually accompanied with episodes such as hemorrhage or neurological deterioration. Although AOVMs were angiographically negative some strands indicating draining veins were observed on MRI in several cases. In contrast, none of the nonsymptomatic lesions (22 lesions) demonstrated enhancement effects with Gd-DTPA. (author)

  14. PROBING X-RAY ABSORPTION AND OPTICAL EXTINCTION IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM USING CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foight, Dillon R.; Slane, Patrick O. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Güver, Tolga [Istanbul University, Science Faculty, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Beyazıt, 34119, Istanbul (Turkey); Özel, Feryal [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

    2016-07-20

    We present a comprehensive study of interstellar X-ray extinction using the extensive Chandra supernova remnant (SNR) archive and use our results to refine the empirical relation between the hydrogen column density and optical extinction. In our analysis, we make use of the large, uniform data sample to assess various systematic uncertainties in the measurement of the interstellar X-ray absorption. Specifically, we address systematic uncertainties that originate from (i) the emission models used to fit SNR spectra; (ii) the spatial variations within individual remnants; (iii) the physical conditions of the remnant such as composition, temperature, and non-equilibrium regions; and (iv) the model used for the absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium. Using a Bayesian framework to quantify these systematic uncertainties, and combining the resulting hydrogen column density measurements with the measurements of optical extinction toward the same remnants, we find the empirical relation N {sub H} = (2.87 ± 0.12) × 10{sup 21} A {sub V} cm{sup 2}, which is significantly higher than the previous measurements.

  15. Design and Verification of External Occulters for Direct Imaging of Extrasolar Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Eric

    2011-01-01

    An occulter is an optical element which is placed in front of the telescope to block most of the light from a star before it reaches the optics inside, without blocking the planet.In our case, we use two spacecraft ying in formation: First has its edge shaped to cancel the starlight Second is the telescope which images the star and planet

  16. Freely-migrating defects: Their production and interaction with cascade remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehn, L.E.; Wiedersich, H.

    1991-05-01

    Many microstructural changes that occur during irradiation are driven primarily by freely-migrating defects, i.e. those defects which escape from nascent cascades to migrate over distances that are large relative to typical cascade dimensions. Several measurements during irradiation at elevated temperatures have shown that the survival rate of freely-migrating defects decreases much more strongly with increasing primary recoil energy than does the survival rate for defects generated at liquid helium temperatures. For typical fission or fusion recoil spectra, and for heavy-ion bombardment, the fraction of defects that migrate long-distances is apparently only ∼1% of the calculated dpa. This small surviving fraction of freely-migrating defects results at least partially from additional intracascade recombination at elevated temperatures. However, cascade remnants, e.g., vacancy and interstitial clusters, also contribute by enhancing intercascade defect annihilation. A recently developed rate-theory approach is used to discuss the relative importance of intra- and intercascade recombination to the survival rate of freely-migrating defects. Within the validity of certain simplifying assumptions, the additional sink density provided by defect clusters produced directly within individual cascades can explain the difference between a defect survival rate of about 30% for low dose, low temperature irradiations with heavy ions, and a survival rate of only ∼1% for freely-migrating defects at elevated temperatures. The status of our current understanding of freely-migrating defects, including remaining unanswered questions, is also discussed. 33 refs., 5 figs

  17. Gravitational waves from remnant massive neutron stars of binary neutron star merger: Viscous hydrodynamics effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Masaru; Kiuchi, Kenta

    2017-06-01

    Employing a simplified version of the Israel-Stewart formalism of general-relativistic shear-viscous hydrodynamics, we explore the evolution of a remnant massive neutron star of binary neutron star merger and pay special attention to the resulting gravitational waveforms. We find that for the plausible values of the so-called viscous alpha parameter of the order 10-2 the degree of the differential rotation in the remnant massive neutron star is significantly reduced in the viscous time scale, ≲5 ms . Associated with this, the degree of nonaxisymmetric deformation is also reduced quickly, and as a consequence, the amplitude of quasiperiodic gravitational waves emitted also decays in the viscous time scale. Our results indicate that for modeling the evolution of the merger remnants of binary neutron stars we would have to take into account magnetohydrodynamics effects, which in nature could provide the viscous effects.

  18. 3-D Model of Broadband Emission from Supernova Remnants Undergoing Non-linear Diffusive Shock Acceleration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Shiu-Hang; Kamae, Tuneyoshi; Ellison, Donald C.

    2008-07-02

    We present a 3-dimensional model of supernova remnants (SNRs) where the hydrodynamical evolution of the remnant is modeled consistently with nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration occurring at the outer blast wave. The model includes particle escape and diffusion outside of the forward shock, and particle interactions with arbitrary distributions of external ambient material, such as molecular clouds. We include synchrotron emission and cooling, bremsstrahlung radiation, neutral pion production, inverse-Compton (IC), and Coulomb energy-loss. Boardband spectra have been calculated for typical parameters including dense regions of gas external to a 1000 year old SNR. In this paper, we describe the details of our model but do not attempt a detailed fit to any specific remnant. We also do not include magnetic field amplification (MFA), even though this effect may be important in some young remnants. In this first presentation of the model we don't attempt a detailed fit to any specific remnant. Our aim is to develop a flexible platform, which can be generalized to include effects such as MFA, and which can be easily adapted to various SNR environments, including Type Ia SNRs, which explode in a constant density medium, and Type II SNRs, which explode in a pre-supernova wind. When applied to a specific SNR, our model will predict cosmic-ray spectra and multi-wavelength morphology in projected images for instruments with varying spatial and spectral resolutions. We show examples of these spectra and images and emphasize the importance of measurements in the hard X-ray, GeV, and TeV gamma-ray bands for investigating key ingredients in the acceleration mechanism, and for deducing whether or not TeV emission is produced by IC from electrons or pion-decay from protons.

  19. Variation in diel activity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) associated with a soybean field and coal mine remnant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willand, J.E.; McCravy, K.W.

    2006-01-01

    Diel activities of carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) associated with a coal mine remnant and surrounding soybean field were studied in west-central Illinois from June through October 2002. A total of 1,402 carabids, representing 29 species and 17 genera, were collected using pitfall traps. Poecilus chalcites (Say) demonstrated roughly equal diurnal and nocturnal activity in June, but greater diurnal activity thereafter. Pterostichus permundus (Say), Cyclotrachelus seximpressus (LeConte), Amara obesa (Say), and Scarites quadriceps Chaudoir showed significant nocturnal activity. Associations between habitat and diel activity were found for three species: P. chalcites associated with the remnant and edge habitats showed greater diurnal activity than those associated with the soybean field; C. seximpressus was most active diurnally in the remnant, and Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) showed the greatest nocturnal activity in the remnant and edge habitats. We found significant temporal and habitat-related variation in diel activity among carabid species inhabiting agricultural areas in west-central Illinois.

  20. First lunar occultation results from the 2.4 m Thai national telescope equipped with ULTRASPEC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richichi, A.; Irawati, P.; Soonthornthum, B. [National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, 191 Siriphanich Building, Huay Kaew Road, Suthep, Muang, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Dhillon, V. S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom); Marsh, T. R., E-mail: andrea4work@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

    2014-11-01

    The recently inaugurated 2.4 m Thai National Telescope (TNT) is equipped with, among other instruments, the ULTRASPEC low-noise, frame-transfer EMCCD camera. At the end of its first official observing season, we report on the use of this facility to record high time resolution imaging using small detector subarrays with a sampling as fast as several 10{sup 2} Hz. In particular, we have recorded lunar occultations of several stars that represent the first contribution to this area of research made from Southeast Asia with a telescope of this class. Among the results, we discuss an accurate measurement of α Cnc, which has been reported previously as a suspected close binary. Attempts by several authors to resolve this star have so far met with a lack of unambiguous confirmation. With our observation we are able to place stringent limits on the projected angular separation (<0.''003) and brightness (Δm > 5) of a putative companion. We also present a measurement of the binary HR 7072, which extends considerably the time coverage available for its yet undetermined orbit. We discuss our precise determination of the flux ratio and projected separation in the context of other available data. We conclude by providing an estimate of the performance of ULTRASPEC at TNT for lunar occultation work. This facility can help to extend the lunar occultation technique in a geographical area where no comparable resources were available until now.

  1. Occult Hepatitis B Virus infection in ART-Naive HIV-Infected Patients seen at a Tertiary Care Centre in North India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Sarman

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Co-infections of hepatitis B and C viruses are frequent with HIV due to shared routes of transmission. In most of the tertiary care health settings, HIV reactive patients are routinely tested for HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies to rule out these co-infections. However, using the routine serological markers one can only detect active HBV infection while the occult HBV infection may be missed. There is insufficient data from India on HIV-HBV co-infection and even scarce on occult HBV infection in this group. Methods We estimated the burden of HBV infection in patients who were tested positive for HIV at a tertiary care centre in north India. We also attempted to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of occult HBV infection among these treatment-naïve patients and compare their demographic features with other HIV patients. During a period of 6 years between January 2002 to December 2007, 837 HIV positive patients (631 males and 206 females (M: F :: 3.06:1 were tested for serological markers of HBV (HBsAg and HCV (anti-HCV antibodies infections in our laboratory. For comparison 1000 apparently healthy, HIV-negative organ donors were also included in the study. Data on demographics, sexual behaviour, medical history, laboratory tests including the serum ALT and CD4 count of these patients were recorded. A sub-group of 53 HBsAg negative samples from HIV positive patients were assessed for anti-HBs, anti-HBc total (IgG+IgM and HBV-DNA using a highly sensitive qualitative PCR and analysed retrospectively. Results Overall, 7.28% of HIV positive patients showed presence of HBsAg as compared to 1.4% in the HIV negative control group. The prevalence of HBsAg was higher (8.55% in males than females (3.39%. The study revealed that occult HBV infection with detectable HBV-DNA was prevalent in 24.5% of patients positive for anti-HBc antibodies; being 45.5% in HBsAg negative patients. Most importantly the occult infection was

  2. A game of two discs: a case of non-contiguous and occult cervical spine injury in a rugby player.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Sullivan, Michael D; Piggot, Robert; Jaddan, Mutaz; McCabe, John P

    2016-03-14

    The aim of this case report was to highlight the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in elucidating serious and occult injuries in a single case of hyperflextion injury of a patient cervical spine (C-Spine). A chart and radiology review was performed to establish the sequence of care and how the results of imaging studies influenced the clinical management in this trauma case. Plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities of the C-Spine revealed bilateral C4/C5 facetal subluxation with no obvious fractures; however, the MR imaging of the C-Spine revealed a non-contiguous and occult injury to C6/C7 disc with a posterior annular tear and associated disc extrusion. This altered the operative intervention that was initially planned. MR imaging proved an invaluable diagnostic addition in this particular case of cervical trauma in a rugby player following a hyperflextion injury, by revealing a serious non-contiguous and occult injury of the C-Spine. Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016.

  3. [Occult medicine in the 20th century: pharmacotherapy by Demeter Georgievitz-Weitzer, known as Surya (1873 - 1949)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmstädter, Axel

    2011-01-01

    Demeter Georgievitz-Weitzer (1873-1949), called "Surya", Sanskrit for "sun", was an important representative of medical occultism in the first half of the 20th century. He worked as a journal editor and published a 13-volume book series about occult medicine, mainly written by himself. His hypotheses were closely related to the "Lebensreform" movement around 1900. Regarding diagnostics, he relied on astrology, cheiromancy, and clairvoyance, while therapeutics were dominated by diet and spagyric remedies according to Cesare Mattei (1809-1896) and Carl-Friedrich Zimpel (1801-1879). In his later years, he developed his own healing system, initially comprising eight, later only two preparations. Surya remedies were commercially available until the end of the 20th century,

  4. FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE DETECTION OF THE YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANT TYCHO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giordano, F.; Naumann-Godo, M.; Ballet, J.; Bechtol, K.; Funk, S.; Lande, J.; Tanaka, T.; Uchiyama, Y.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Rainò, S.; Tibolla, O.

    2012-01-01

    After almost three years of data taking in sky-survey mode, the Fermi Large Area Telescope has detected γ-ray emission toward Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR). The Tycho SNR is among the youngest remnants in the Galaxy, originating from a Type Ia Supernova in AD 1572. The γ-ray integral flux from 400 MeV up to 100 GeV has been measured to be (3.5 ± 1.1 stat ± 0.7 syst )× 10 –9 cm –2 s –1 with a photon index of 2.3 ± 0.2 stat ± 0.1 syst . A simple model consistent with TeV, X-ray, and radio data is sufficient to explain the observed emission as originating from π 0 decays as a result of cosmic-ray acceleration and interaction with the ambient medium.

  5. The many sides of RCW 86: a Type Ia supernova remnant evolving in its progenitor's wind bubble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broersen, Sjors; Chiotellis, Alexandros; Vink, Jacco; Bamba, Aya

    2014-07-01

    We present the results of a detailed investigation of the Galactic supernova remnant RCW 86 using the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope. RCW 86 is the probable remnant of SN 185 A.D., a supernova that likely exploded inside a wind-blown cavity. We use the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer to derive precise temperatures and ionization ages of the plasma, which are an indication of the interaction history of the remnant with the presumed cavity. We find that the spectra are well fitted by two non-equilibrium ionization models, which enables us to constrain the properties of the ejecta and interstellar matter plasma. Furthermore, we performed a principal component analysis on EPIC MOS and pn data to find regions with particular spectral properties. We present evidence that the shocked ejecta, emitting Fe K and Si line emission, are confined to a shell of approximately 2 pc width with an oblate spheroidal morphology. Using detailed hydrodynamical simulations, we show that general dynamical and emission properties at different portions of the remnant can be well reproduced by a Type Ia supernova that exploded in a non-spherically symmetric wind-blown cavity. We also show that this cavity can be created using general wind properties for a single degenerate system. Our data and simulations provide further evidence that RCW 86 is indeed the remnant of SN 185, and is the likely result of a Type Ia explosion of single degenerate origin.

  6. The prototype cameras for trans-Neptunian automatic occultation survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shiang-Yu; Ling, Hung-Hsu; Hu, Yen-Sang; Geary, John C.; Chang, Yin-Chang; Chen, Hsin-Yo; Amato, Stephen M.; Huang, Pin-Jie; Pratlong, Jerome; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; Lehner, Matthew; Norton, Timothy; Jorden, Paul

    2016-08-01

    The Transneptunian Automated Occultation Survey (TAOS II) is a three robotic telescope project to detect the stellar occultation events generated by TransNeptunian Objects (TNOs). TAOS II project aims to monitor about 10000 stars simultaneously at 20Hz to enable statistically significant event rate. The TAOS II camera is designed to cover the 1.7 degrees diameter field of view of the 1.3m telescope with 10 mosaic 4.5k×2k CMOS sensors. The new CMOS sensor (CIS 113) has a back illumination thinned structure and high sensitivity to provide similar performance to that of the back-illumination thinned CCDs. Due to the requirements of high performance and high speed, the development of the new CMOS sensor is still in progress. Before the science arrays are delivered, a prototype camera is developed to help on the commissioning of the robotic telescope system. The prototype camera uses the small format e2v CIS 107 device but with the same dewar and also the similar control electronics as the TAOS II science camera. The sensors, mounted on a single Invar plate, are cooled to the operation temperature of about 200K as the science array by a cryogenic cooler. The Invar plate is connected to the dewar body through a supporting ring with three G10 bipods. The control electronics consists of analog part and a Xilinx FPGA based digital circuit. One FPGA is needed to control and process the signal from a CMOS sensor for 20Hz region of interests (ROI) readout.

  7. Between occultism and drama. Henrik Ibsen and Aleister Crowley

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuliano D' Amico

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The article investigates the references to the works of Henrik Ibsen that the writer and occultist Aleister Crowley scattered in his writings around the turn of the 20th century, in the early phase of his career as a writer and occultist. Crowley’s reading of Ibsen has a marked a socio-political bent, especially in his interpretation of the work of the Norwegian playwright as an act of rebellion against the bourgeois (and for Crowley, Victorian system of values. Also, such view is enriched by a spiritual and individualistic interpretation of Ibsen as an “Artist”, i.e., in the light of Crowley’s occult doctrine, Thelema, of an individual who has found his own “Will” and can inspire others to do so. Such social and spiritual interpretations of Ibsen on Crowley’s part found their literary realization in his one-act play The Mother’s Tragedy (1899. The article claims that Crowley’s reading of Ibsen can give some new insight in the mechanisms of reception of the Norwegian playwright, by opening up for a reading of some of his plays within an occult discourse. Also, it is an occasion to treat Crowley – a figure that was constantly present in the European cultural and literary life of the last decade of the 19th century and of the first five decades of the 20th – with a different attitude than the irony and disdain to which he is often exposed.

  8. Chandra Observations of Tycho's Supernova Remnant U. Hwang , R ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    runaway thermal instabilities in a white dwarf. It was observed for 50 ks with the superb 0.5 resolution mirror on the Chandra X-ray .... emission that comes from ejecta that have propagated to the forward shock. Such a spectrum, taken from a portion of the west rim of the remnant, is shown in the right panel of Fig. 2. The fitted ...

  9. Supernova Remnants with Fermi Large Area Telescope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caragiulo M.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The Large Area Telescope (LAT, on-board the Fermi satellite, proved to be, after 8 years of data taking, an excellent instrument to detect and observe Supernova Remnants (SNRs in a range of energies running from few hundred MeV up to few hundred GeV. It provides essential information on physical processes that occur at the source, involving both accelerated leptons and hadrons, in order to understand the mechanisms responsible for the primary Cosmic Ray (CR acceleration. We show the latest results in the observation of Galactic SNRs by Fermi-LAT.

  10. The Effect of Early Detection of Occult Brain Metastases in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients on Survival and Cause of Death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niwinska, Anna; Tacikowska, Malgorzata; Murawska, Magdalena

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate disease-free survival, survival from the detection of brain metastases, overall survival, and cause of death in patients with occult brain metastases (Group I) vs. patients with symptomatic brain metastases (Group II). Methods and Materials: In 80 HER2-positive breast cancer patients, treated with trastuzumab and cytostatic agents for metastatic disease, magnetic resonance imaging screening of the brain was performed, and in 29 patients (36%) occult brain metastasis was detected (Group I). Whole-brain radiotherapy was delivered to Group I. This first group was compared with 52 patients who had symptomatic brain metastases (Group II) and was treated the same way, at the same clinic, during the same time period. Results: Median disease-free survival was 17 months in Group I and 19.9 months in Group II (p = 0.58). The median time interval between the dissemination of the disease and the detection of occult or symptomatic brain metastases was 9 and 15 months, respectively (p = 0.11). When the brain metastases were detected, the median survival was 9 and 8.78 months, respectively (p = 0.80). The median overall survival was 53 and 51 months, respectively (p = 0.94). In the group with occult brain metastases (Group I) 16% of patients died because of progression within the brain. In the group with symptomatic brain metastases (Group II) the rate of cerebral death was 48% (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Whole-brain radiotherapy of occult brain metastases in HER2-positive breast cancer patients with visceral dissemination produces a three-fold decrease in cerebral deaths but does not prolong survival.

  11. Laser fluorescence bronchoscope for localization of occult lung tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Profio, A.E.; Doiron, D.R.; King, E.G.

    1979-01-01

    A system for imaging occult bronchogenic carcinoma by the fluorescence of previously-injected, tumor-specific compound hematoporphyrin-derivative has been assembled and successfully used to locate a tumor l mm thick. The violet excitation source is a krypton ion laser coupled to fused quartz fiber light conductor. An electrostatic image intensifier attached to a standard flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope provides a bright image even at relatively low irradiance. A red secondary filter rejects most reflected background and autofluorescence. Sensitivity and contrast capability of the system should permit detection of a tumor less than 0.1 mm thick

  12. Does remnant gastric cancer really differ from primary gastric cancer? A systematic review of the literature by the Task Force of Japanese Gastric Cancer Association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimada, Hideaki; Fukagawa, Takeo; Haga, Yoshio; Oba, Koji

    2016-04-01

    Remnant gastric cancer, most frequently defined as cancer detected in the remnant stomach after distal gastrectomy for benign disease and those cases after surgery of gastric cancer at least 5 years after the primary surgery, is often reported as a tumor with poor prognosis. The Task Force of Japanese Gastric Cancer Association for Research Promotion evaluated the clinical impact of remnant gastric cancer by systematically reviewing publications focusing on molecular carcinogenesis, lymph node status, patient survival, and surgical complications. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE with the keywords "remnant," "stomach," and "cancer," revealing 1154 relevant reports published up to the end of December 2014. The mean interval between the initial surgery and the diagnosis of remnant gastric cancer ranged from 10 to 30 years. The incidence of lymph node metastases at the splenic hilum for remnant gastric cancer is not significantly higher than that for primary proximal gastric cancer. Lymph node involvement in the jejunal mesentery is a phenomenon peculiar to remnant gastric cancer after Billroth II reconstruction. Prognosis and postoperative morbidity and mortality rates seem to be comparable to those for primary proximal gastric cancer. The crude 5-year mortality for remnant gastric cancer was 1.08 times higher than that for primary proximal gastric cancer, but this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, although no prospective cohort study has yet evaluated the clinical significance of remnant gastric cancer, our literature review suggests that remnant gastric cancer does not adversely affect patient prognosis and postoperative course.

  13. Lunar occultations for gamma-ray source measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, David G.; Hughes, E. B.; Nolan, Patrick L.

    1990-01-01

    The unambiguous association of discrete gamma-ray sources with objects radiating at other wavelengths, the separation of discrete sources from the extended emission within the Galaxy, the mapping of gamma-ray emission from nearby galaxies and the measurement of structure within a discrete source cannot presently be accomplished at gamma-ray energies. In the past, the detection processes used in high-energy gamma-ray astronomy have not allowed for good angular resolution. This problem can be overcome by placing gamma-ray detectors on the moon and using the horizon as an occulting edge to achieve arcsec resolution. For purposes of discussion, this concept is examined for gamma rays above 100 MeV for which pair production dominates the detection process and locally-generated nuclear gamma rays do not contribute to the background.

  14. Radio-continuum observations of small, radially polarised Supernova Remnant J0519-6902 in the large Magellanic cloud

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bozzetto L.M.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We report on new Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA observations of SNR J0519-6902. The Supernova Remnant (SNR is small in size (~8 pc and exhibits a typical SNR spectrum with α = -0.53±0.07, with steeper spectral indices towards the northern limb of the remnant. SNR J0519-6902 contains a low level of radially orientated polarisation at wavelengths of 3 and 6 cm, which is typical of younger SNRs. A fairly strong magnetic field was estimated to ~171µG. The remnant appears to be the result of a typical Type Ia supernova, sharing many properties with another small and young Type Ia LMC SNR, J0509-6731. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176005

  15. The influence of thermal pressure on equilibrium models of hypermassive neutron star merger remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaplan, J. D.; Ott, C. D.; Roberts, L. [TAPIR, California Institute of Technology, Mailcode 350-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); O' Connor, E. P. [CITA, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8 (Canada); Kiuchi, K. [Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Kyoto, Kyoto (Japan); Duez, M., E-mail: cott@tapir.caltech.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States)

    2014-07-20

    The merger of two neutron stars leaves behind a rapidly spinning hypermassive object whose survival is believed to depend on the maximum mass supported by the nuclear equation of state (EOS), angular momentum redistribution by (magneto-)rotational instabilities, and spindown by gravitational waves. The high temperatures (∼5-40 MeV) prevailing in the merger remnant may provide thermal pressure support that could increase its maximum mass and, thus, its life on a neutrino-cooling timescale. We investigate the role of thermal pressure support in hypermassive merger remnants by computing sequences of spherically symmetric and axisymmetric uniformly and differentially rotating equilibrium solutions to the general-relativistic stellar structure equations. Using a set of finite-temperature nuclear EOS, we find that hot maximum-mass critically spinning configurations generally do not support larger baryonic masses than their cold counterparts. However, subcritically spinning configurations with mean density of less than a few times nuclear saturation density yield a significantly thermally enhanced mass. Even without decreasing the maximum mass, cooling and other forms of energy loss can drive the remnant to an unstable state. We infer secular instability by identifying approximate energy turning points in equilibrium sequences of constant baryonic mass parameterized by maximum density. Energy loss carries the remnant along the direction of decreasing gravitational mass and higher density until instability triggers collapse. Since configurations with more thermal pressure support are less compact and thus begin their evolution at a lower maximum density, they remain stable for longer periods after merger.

  16. The influence of thermal pressure on equilibrium models of hypermassive neutron star merger remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaplan, J. D.; Ott, C. D.; Roberts, L.; O'Connor, E. P.; Kiuchi, K.; Duez, M.

    2014-01-01

    The merger of two neutron stars leaves behind a rapidly spinning hypermassive object whose survival is believed to depend on the maximum mass supported by the nuclear equation of state (EOS), angular momentum redistribution by (magneto-)rotational instabilities, and spindown by gravitational waves. The high temperatures (∼5-40 MeV) prevailing in the merger remnant may provide thermal pressure support that could increase its maximum mass and, thus, its life on a neutrino-cooling timescale. We investigate the role of thermal pressure support in hypermassive merger remnants by computing sequences of spherically symmetric and axisymmetric uniformly and differentially rotating equilibrium solutions to the general-relativistic stellar structure equations. Using a set of finite-temperature nuclear EOS, we find that hot maximum-mass critically spinning configurations generally do not support larger baryonic masses than their cold counterparts. However, subcritically spinning configurations with mean density of less than a few times nuclear saturation density yield a significantly thermally enhanced mass. Even without decreasing the maximum mass, cooling and other forms of energy loss can drive the remnant to an unstable state. We infer secular instability by identifying approximate energy turning points in equilibrium sequences of constant baryonic mass parameterized by maximum density. Energy loss carries the remnant along the direction of decreasing gravitational mass and higher density until instability triggers collapse. Since configurations with more thermal pressure support are less compact and thus begin their evolution at a lower maximum density, they remain stable for longer periods after merger.

  17. Air-cooling mathematical analysis as inferred from the air-temperature observation during the 1st total occultation of the Sun of the 21st century at Lusaka, Zambia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peñaloza-Murillo, Marcos A.; Pasachoff, Jay M.

    2015-04-01

    We analyze mathematically air temperature measurements made near the ground by the Williams College expedition to observe the first total occultation of the Sun [TOS (commonly known as a total solar eclipse)] of the 21st century in Lusaka, Zambia, in the afternoon of June 21, 2001. To do so, we have revisited some earlier and contemporary methods to test their usefulness for this analysis. Two of these methods, based on a radiative scheme for solar radiation modeling and that has been originally applied to a morning occultation, have successfully been combined to obtain the delay function for an afternoon occultation, via derivation of the so-called instantaneous temperature profiles. For this purpose, we have followed the suggestion given by the third of these previously applied methods to calculate this function, although by itself it failed to do so at least for this occultation. The analysis has taken into account the limb-darkening, occultation and obscuration functions. The delay function obtained describes quite fairly the lag between the solar radiation variation and the delayed air temperature measured. Also, in this investigation, a statistical study has been carried out to get information on the convection activity produced during this event. For that purpose, the fluctuations generated by turbulence has been studied by analyzing variance and residuals. The results, indicating an irreversible steady decrease of this activity, are consistent with those published by other studies. Finally, the air temperature drop due to this event is well estimated by applying the empirical scheme given by the fourth of the previously applied methods, based on the daily temperature amplitude and the standardized middle time of the occultation. It is demonstrated then that by using a simple set of air temperature measurements obtained during solar occultations, along with some supplementary data, a simple mathematical analysis can be achieved by applying of the four

  18. Aplastic crisis in occult hereditary spherocytosis caused by human parvovirus (HPV B19).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rappaport, E S; Quick, G; Ransom, D; Helbert, B; Frankel, L S

    1989-02-01

    We have reported a case of aplastic crisis occurring in an 11-year-old black boy with occult hereditary spherocytosis. An etiologic diagnosis of human parvovirus (HPV) B19 infection was confirmed serologically. The Coulter Model S + IV proved useful for both diagnosis and treatment monitoring through serial histograms. The relationship of HPV infection and aplastic crisis is discussed.

  19. Prognosis for Mammographically Occult, Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Breast-Conservation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Tzu-I. J.; Yang Qifeng; Haffty, Bruce G.; Moran, Meena S.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To compare mammographically occult (MamOcc) and mammographically positive (MamPos) early-stage breast cancer patients treated with breast-conservation therapy (BCT), to analyze differences between the two cohorts. Methods and Materials: Our two cohorts consisted of 214 MamOcc and 2168 MamPos patients treated with BCT. Chart reviews were conducted to assess mammogram reports and method of detection. All clinical-pathologic and outcome parameters were analyzed to detect differences between the two cohorts. Results: Median follow-up was 7 years. There were no differences in final margins, T stage, nodal status, estrogen/progesterone receptor status, or 'triple-negative' status. Significant differences included younger age at diagnosis (p o histology (p < 0.0001). At 10 years, the differences in overall survival, cause-specific survival, and distant relapse between the two groups did not differ significantly. The MamOcc cohort had more breast relapses (15% vs. 8%; p = 0.0357), but on multivariate analysis this difference was not significant (hazard ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.993-1.007, p = 0.9296). Breast relapses were mammographically occult in 32% of the MamOcc and 12% of the MamPos cohorts (p = 0.0136). Conclusions: Although our study suggests that there are clinical-pathologic variations for the MamOcc cohort vs. MamPos patients that may ultimately affect management, breast relapse after BCT was not significantly different. Breast recurrences were more often mammographically occult in the MamOcc cohort; consideration should be given to closer follow-up and alternative imaging strategies (ultrasound, breast MRI) for routine posttreatment examination. To our knowledge, this represents the largest series addressing the prognostic significance of MamOcc cancers treated with BCT.

  20. Prediction of Occult Invasive Disease in Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Using Deep Learning Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Bibo; Grimm, Lars J; Mazurowski, Maciej A; Baker, Jay A; Marks, Jeffrey R; King, Lorraine M; Maley, Carlo C; Hwang, E Shelley; Lo, Joseph Y

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether deep features extracted from digital mammograms using a pretrained deep convolutional neural network are prognostic of occult invasive disease for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on core needle biopsy. In this retrospective study, digital mammographic magnification views were collected for 99 subjects with DCIS at biopsy, 25 of which were subsequently upstaged to invasive cancer. A deep convolutional neural network model that was pretrained on nonmedical images (eg, animals, plants, instruments) was used as the feature extractor. Through a statistical pooling strategy, deep features were extracted at different levels of convolutional layers from the lesion areas, without sacrificing the original resolution or distorting the underlying topology. A multivariate classifier was then trained to predict which tumors contain occult invasive disease. This was compared with the performance of traditional "handcrafted" computer vision (CV) features previously developed specifically to assess mammographic calcifications. The generalization performance was assessed using Monte Carlo cross-validation and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Deep features were able to distinguish DCIS with occult invasion from pure DCIS, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.70 (95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.73). This performance was comparable with the handcrafted CV features (area under the curve = 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.71) that were designed with prior domain knowledge. Despite being pretrained on only nonmedical images, the deep features extracted from digital mammograms demonstrated comparable performance with handcrafted CV features for the challenging task of predicting DCIS upstaging. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The effects of two soft drinks on bond strength, bracket microleakage, and adhesive remnant on intact and sealed enamel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro, Raúl; Vicente, Ascensión; Ortiz, Antonio J; Bravo, Luis A

    2011-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Coca-Cola and Schweppes Limón on bond strength, adhesive remnant, and microleakage beneath brackets. One hundred and twenty upper central incisor brackets were bonded to bovine incisors and divided into three groups: (1) Control, (2) Coca-Cola, and (3) Schweppes Limón. The teeth were submerged in the drinks three times a day for 15 minutes over a 15 day period. Shear bond strength (SBS) was measured with a universal testing machine, and adhesive remnant evaluated using image analysis equipment. Microleakage at the enamel-adhesive and adhesive-bracket interfaces was determined using methylene blue. One hundred and eight teeth were used for scanning electron microscopy to determine the effect of the drinks on intact and sealed enamel. SBS and adhesive remnant data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (P adhesive remnant between the groups (P > 0.05). Microleakage at the enamel-adhesive interface for groups 2 and 3 was significantly greater than for group 1 (P adhesive-bracket interface, microleakage was significantly greater in group 2 than in group 1 (P enamel erosion, loss of adhesive and microleakage. Coca-Cola and Schweppes Limón did not affect the SBS of brackets or the adhesive remnant.

  2. Urachal remnant carcinoma - a rare entity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanesha Naidu

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Primary malignancy of the urachal remnant is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 0.01% of all adult cancers, with an estimated annual incidence of 1:5 million. The tumour carries a grave prognosis that attests to its highly aggressive nature. Owing to its extra-peritoneal location, the tumour runs a relatively silent clinical course until late presentation, when most patients display extensive local invasion and metastatic spread. In this report, we highlight a case of primary malignancy of the urachus that on initial clinical evaluation masqueraded as a Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule. Characteristic imaging features, however, proved decisive in establishing the diagnosis of a urachal carcinoma.

  3. Thermal structure of intense convective clouds derived from GPS radio occultations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Randel, W. J.; Ho, S. -P.

    2012-01-01

    Thermal structure associated with deep convective clouds is investigated using Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation measurements. GPS data are insensitive to the presence of clouds, and provide high vertical resolution and high accuracy measurements to identify associated temperature...... behavior. Deep convective systems are identified using International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) satellite data, and cloud tops are accurately measured using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIPSO) lidar observations; we focus on 53 cases of near-coincident GPS...

  4. Thermal structure of intense convective clouds derived from GPS radio occultations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Randel, W. J.; Ho, S.-P.

    2011-01-01

    Thermal structure associated with deep convective clouds is investigated using Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation measurements. GPS data are insensitive to the presence of clouds, and provide high vertical resolution and high accuracy measurements to identify associated temperature...... behavior. Deep convective systems are identified using International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) satellite data, and cloud tops are accurately measured using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIPSO) lidar observations; we focus on 53 cases of near-coincident GPS...

  5. X-ray emission from reverse-shocked ejecta in supernova remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cioffi, Denis F.; Mckee, Christopher F.

    1990-01-01

    A simple physical model of the dynamics of a young supernova remnant is used to derive a straightforward kinematical description of the reverse shock. With suitable approximations, formulae can then be developed to give the X-ray emission of the reverse-shocked ejecta. The results are found to agree favorably with observations of SN1006.

  6. Partial diagenetic overprint of late jurassic belemnites from New Zealand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ullmann, Clemens Vinzenz; Campbell, Hamish J.; Frei, Robert

    2013-01-01

    δ7Li values become more positive with progressive alteration. The direction and magnitude of the trends in the geochemical record indicate that one main phase of alteration that occurred in the Late Cretaceous caused most of the diagenetic signature in the calcite. Despite relatively deep burial......The preservation potential and trends of alteration of many isotopic systems (e.g. Li, Mg, Ca) that are measured in fossil carbonates are little explored, yet extensive paleoenvironmental interpretations have been made on the basis of these records. Here we present a geochemical dataset for a Late...... Jurassic (~153 Ma) belemnite (Belemnopsis sp.) from New Zealand that has been partially overprinted by alteration. We report the physical pathways and settings of alteration, the resulting elemental and isotopic trends including δ7Li values and Li/Ca ratios, and assess whether remnants of the primary shell...

  7. Tropical cyclone cloud‐top height and vertical temperature structure detection using GPS radio occultation measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biondi, Riccardo; Ho, Shu‐Peng; Randel, William

    2013-01-01

    The accurate determination of tropical cyclone (TC) cloud-top height and its vertical thermal structure using the GPS radio occultation (RO) technique is demonstrated in this study. Cloud-top heights are determined by using the bending angle anomaly and the temperature anomaly profiles during...

  8. Runaway companions of supernova remnants with Gaia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boubert, Douglas; Fraser, Morgan; Evans, N. Wyn

    2018-04-01

    It is expected that most massive stars have companions and thus that some core-collapse supernovae should have a runaway companion. The precise astrometry and photometry provided by Gaia allows for the systematic discovery of these runaway companions. We combine a prior on the properties of runaway stars from binary evolution with data from TGAS and APASS to search for runaway stars within ten nearby supernova remnants. We strongly confirm the existing candidate HD 37424 in S147, propose the Be star BD+50 3188 to be associated with HB 21, and suggest tentative candidates for the Cygnus and Monoceros Loops.

  9. The “communication line” suggests occult posterior malleolar fracture associated with a spiral tibial shaft fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou Zhiyong; Zhang Liping; Zhang Qi; Yao Shuangquan; Pan Jinshe; Irgit, Kaan; Zhang Yingze

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: To demonstrate radiographical characteristics of the relationship between distal spiral tibial shaft fractures and associated occult posterior malleolar fractures (PMF) that confirmed by CT and MRI. Materials and methods: X-rays for a ninety-six patients with spiral tibia fracture and associated PMF were reviewed. All patients additionally had an ankle CT. Patients with a negative CT scans underwent an ankle MRI. Radiographic observations included fracture location, characteristics, and a presence of a fracture line between the two injuries. Results: The spiral tibia fracture line was contiguous with PMF in 89 of 96 cases after evaluation with the CT and MRI. The line connecting the two injuries, which occurs between the medial inferior apex of the spiral tibia fracture line and the posterior superior apex of the PMF was identified as the “communication line”. In 47 of the 89 conjunction fractures, the “communication line” was detectable preoperatively and in 12 cases postoperatively by anteroposterior radiograph. By using the CT and MRI scans, we found that no “communication line” was present in only 7 cases. Conclusion: It is important to understand the nature of the association between distal spiral tibial shaft fractures and occult posterior malleolar fractures for optimal stabilization of the fracture and for appropriate rehabilitation. The “communication line” is a useful diagnostic clue for early recognition the occult PMF and alerts a closer evaluation of the lateral view and further CT examination.

  10. Former food products safety: microbiological quality and computer vision evaluation of packaging remnants contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tretola, M; Di Rosa, A R; Tirloni, E; Ottoboni, M; Giromini, C; Leone, F; Bernardi, C E M; Dell'Orto, V; Chiofalo, V; Pinotti, L

    2017-08-01

    The use of alternative feed ingredients in farm animal's diets can be an interesting choice from several standpoints, including safety. In this respect, this study investigated the safety features of selected former food products (FFPs) intended for animal nutrition produced in the framework of the IZS PLV 06/14 RC project by an FFP processing plant. Six FFP samples, both mash and pelleted, were analysed for the enumeration of total viable count (TVC) (ISO 4833), Enterobacteriaceae (ISO 21528-1), Escherichia coli (ISO 16649-1), coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CPS) (ISO 6888), presumptive Bacillus cereus and its spores (ISO 7932), sulphite-reducing Clostridia (ISO 7937), yeasts and moulds (ISO 21527-1), and the presence in 25 g of Salmonella spp. (ISO 6579). On the same samples, the presence of undesired ingredients, which can be identified as remnants of packaging materials, was evaluated by two different methods: stereomicroscopy according to published methods; and stereomicroscopy coupled with a computer vision system (IRIS Visual Analyzer VA400). All FFPs analysed were safe from a microbiological point of view. TVC was limited and Salmonella was always absent. When remnants of packaging materials were considered, the contamination level was below 0.08% (w/w). Of note, packaging remnants were found mainly from the 1-mm sieve mesh fractions. Finally, the innovative computer vision system demonstrated the possibility of rapid detection for the presence of packaging remnants in FFPs when combined with a stereomicroscope. In conclusion, the FFPs analysed in the present study can be considered safe, even though some improvements in FFP processing in the feeding plant can be useful in further reducing their microbial loads and impurity.

  11. EVOLUTION OF THE RADIO REMNANT OF SUPERNOVA 1987A: MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES FROM DAY 7000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ng, C.-Y. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Zanardo, G.; Potter, T. M.; Staveley-Smith, L. [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Gaensler, B. M. [Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) (Australia); Manchester, R. N.; Tzioumis, A. K., E-mail: ncy@bohr.physics.hku.hk [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Australia Telescope National Facility, Marsfield, NSW 1710 (Australia)

    2013-11-10

    We present radio imaging observations of supernova remnant 1987A at 9 GHz, taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array over 21 years from 1992 to 2013. By employing a Fourier modeling technique to fit the visibility data, we show that the remnant structure has evolved significantly since day 7000 (mid-2006): the emission latitude has gradually decreased such that the overall geometry has become more similar to a ring structure. Around the same time, we find a decreasing trend in the east-west asymmetry of the surface emissivity. These results could reflect the increasing interaction of the forward shock with material around the circumstellar ring, and the relative weakening of the interaction with the lower-density material at higher latitudes. The morphological evolution caused an apparent break in the remnant expansion measured with a torus model, from a velocity of 4600{sup +150}{sub -}200 km s{sup –1} between day 4000 and 7000 to 2400{sup +100}{sub -200} km s{sup –1} after day 7000. However, we emphasize that there is no conclusive evidence for a physical slowing of the shock at any given latitude in the expanding remnant, and that a change of radio morphology alone appears to dominate the evolution. This is supported by our ring-only fits which show a constant expansion of 3890 ± 50 km s{sup –1} without deceleration between days 4000 and 9000. We suggest that once the emission latitude no longer decreases, the expansion velocity obtained from the torus model should return to the same value as that measured with the ring model.

  12. Case Report: CT diagnosis of thymic remnant cyst/thymopharyngeal duct cyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daga, Bipin V; Chaudhary, VA; Dhamangaokar, VB

    2009-01-01

    A 4-year-old boy presented with history of left anterolateral neck swelling since birth. He was clinically diagnosed to have a branchial cleft cyst. A CT scan revealed findings suggestive of a thymic remnant cyst. The lesion was excised and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology

  13. X-RAY EJECTA KINEMATICS OF THE GALACTIC CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVA REMNANT G292.0+1.8

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhalerao, Jayant; Park, Sangwook [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, P.O. Box 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States); Dewey, Daniel [MIT Kavli Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hughes, John P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019 (United States); Mori, Koji [Department of Applied Physics, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192 (Japan); Lee, Jae-Joon, E-mail: jayant.bhalerao@mavs.uta.edu [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-02-10

    We report on the results from the analysis of our 114 ks Chandra High Energy Transmision Grating Spectrometer observation of the Galactic core-collapse supernova remnant G292.0+1.8. To probe the three-dimensional structure of the clumpy X-ray emitting ejecta material in this remnant, we measured Doppler shifts in emission lines from metal-rich ejecta knots projected at different radial distances from the expansion center. We estimate radial velocities of ejecta knots in the range of –2300 ≲ v{sub r}  ≲ 1400 km s{sup –1}. The distribution of ejecta knots in velocity versus projected-radius space suggests an expanding ejecta shell with a projected angular thickness of ∼90'' (corresponding to ∼3 pc at d = 6 kpc). Based on this geometrical distribution of the ejecta knots, we estimate the location of the reverse shock approximately at the distance of ∼4 pc from the center of the supernova remnant, putting it in close proximity to the outer boundary of the radio pulsar wind nebula. Based on our observed remnant dynamics and the standard explosion energy of 10{sup 51} erg, we estimate the total ejecta mass to be ≲8 M {sub ☉}, and we propose an upper limit of ≲35 M {sub ☉} on the progenitor's mass.

  14. MR imaging-guided sonography followed by fine-needle aspiration cytology in occult carcinoma of the breast

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.I.M. Obdeijn (Inge-Marie); Brouwers-Kuyper, E.M.; M.M.A. Tilanus-Linthorst (Madeleine); T. Wiggers (Theo); M. Oudkerk (Matthijs)

    2000-01-01

    markdownabstractOBJECTIVE. In patients with axillary metastases as clinical evidence of possible occult breast cancer, a combined approach of MR imaging, sonography, and aspiration biopsy cytology was evaluated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Thirty-one women with metastatic adenocarcinoma in their

  15. The remnant of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus IgD gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis K Lanning

    Full Text Available Although IgD first appeared, along with IgM, in the cartilaginous fishes and has been retained throughout subsequent vertebrate evolution, it has been lost in a diverse group of vertebrate species. We previously showed that, unlike vertebrates that express IgD, the rabbit lacks an IgD (Cδ gene within 13.5 kb downstream of the IgM gene. We report here that, by conducting BLAST searches of rabbit Ig heavy chain genomic DNA with known mammalian IgD exons, we identified the remnant of the rabbit Cδ gene approximately 21 kb downstream of the IgM gene. The remnant Cδ locus lacks the δCH1 and hinge exons, but contains truncated δCH2 and δCH3 exons, as well as largely intact, but non-functional, secretory and transmembrane exons. In addition, we report that the Cδ gene probably became non-functional in leporids at least prior to the divergence of rabbits and hares ~12 million years ago.

  16. Onion-shell model for cosmic ray electrons and radio synchrotron emission in supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beck, R.; Drury, L.O.; Voelk, H.J.; Bogdan, T.J.

    1985-01-01

    The spectrum of cosmic ray electrons, accelerated in the shock front of a supernova remnant (SNR), is calculated in the test-particle approximation using an onion-shell model. Particle diffusion within the evolving remnant is explicity taken into account. The particle spectrum becomes steeper with increasing radius as well as SNR age. Simple models of the magnetic field distribution allow a prediction of the intensity and spectrum of radio synchrotron emission and their radial variation. The agreement with existing observations is satisfactory in several SNR's but fails in other cases. Radiative cooling may be an important effect, especially in SNR's exploding in a dense interstellar medium

  17. Onion-shell model for cosmic ray electrons and radio synchrotron emission in supernova remnants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, R.; Drury, L. O.; Voelk, H. J.; Bogdan, T. J.

    1985-01-01

    The spectrum of cosmic ray electrons, accelerated in the shock front of a supernova remnant (SNR), is calculated in the test-particle approximation using an onion-shell model. Particle diffusion within the evolving remnant is explicity taken into account. The particle spectrum becomes steeper with increasing radius as well as SNR age. Simple models of the magnetic field distribution allow a prediction of the intensity and spectrum of radio synchrotron emission and their radial variation. The agreement with existing observations is satisfactory in several SNR's but fails in other cases. Radiative cooling may be an important effect, especially in SNR's exploding in a dense interstellar medium.

  18. A deep optical imaging study of the nebular remnants of classical novae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slavin, A. J.; O'Brien, T. J.; Dunlop, J. S.

    1995-09-01

    An optical imaging study of old nova remnants has revealed previously unobserved features in the shells of 13 classical novae - DQ Her, FH Ser, HR Del, GK Per, V1500 Cyg, T Aur, V533 Her, NQ Vul, V476 Cyg, DK Lac, LV Vul, RW UMi and V450 Cyg. These data indicate a possible correlation between nova speed class and the ellipticity of the resulting remnants - those of faster novae tend to comprise randomly distributed clumps of ejecta superposed on spherically symmetric diffuse material, whilst slower novae produce more structured ellipsoidal remnants with at least one and sometimes several rings of enhanced emission. By measuring the extent of the resolved shells and combining this information with previously published ejection speeds, we use expansion parallax to estimate distances for the 13 novae. Whilst we are able to deduce new information about every nova, it is notable that these observations include the first detections of shells around the old novae V450 Cyg and NQ Vul, and that velocity-resolved images of FH Ser and DQ Her have enabled us to estimate their orbital inclinations. Our observations of DQ Her also show that the main ellipsoidal shell is constricted by three rings and surrounded by a faint halo; this halo contains long tails extending outwards from bright knots, perhaps indicating that during or after outburst a fast inner wind has broken through the fractured principal shell.

  19. Inappropriate use of the faecal occult blood test in a university hospital in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rijn, Anne F.; Stroobants, An K.; Deutekom, Marije; Lauppe, Corinne; Sturk, Auguste; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Fockens, Paul; Dekker, Evelien

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Although all international guidelines state that there is no indication to perform a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) in symptomatic patients, we believe the test is frequently used as a diagnostic test. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the current guidelines for FOBT

  20. An X-ray study of the supernova remnant G20.0-0.2 and its surroundings

    OpenAIRE

    Petriella, Alberto; Paron, Sergio; Giacani, Elsa

    2013-01-01

    Aims. We study the supernova remnant G20.0-0.2 and its surroundings in order to look for the high energy counterpart of the radio nebula and to find evidence of interaction between the shock front and the interstellar medium. Methods. We used Chandra archival observations to analyze the X-ray emission from the supernova remnant. The surrounding gas was investigated using data extracted from the Galactic Ring Survey, the VLA Galactic Plane Survey, the Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey E...

  1. Radiographically Occult and Subtle Fractures: A Pictorial Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarraya, M.; Hayashi, D.; Roemer, F.W.; Crema, M.D.; Conlin, J.; Marra, M.D.; Guermazi, A.; Roemer, F.W.; Crema, M.D.; Diaz, L.; Conlin, J.; Jomaah, N.

    2013-01-01

    Radiographically occult and subtle fractures are a diagnostic challenge. They may be divided into (1) high energy trauma fracture, (2) fatigue fracture from cyclical and sustained mechanical stress, and (3) insufficiency fracture occurring in weakened bone (e.g., in osteoporosis and post radiotherapy). Independently of the cause, the initial radiographic examination can be negative either because the findings seem normal or are too subtle. Early detection of these fractures is crucial to explain the patients symptoms and prevent further complications. Advanced imaging tools such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and scintigraphy are highly valuable in this context. Our aim is to raise the awareness of radiologists and clinicians in these cases by presenting illustrative cases and a discussion of the relevant literature.

  2. The Taiwanese-American occultation survey project stellar variability. III. Detection of 58 new variable stars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishioka, R.; Wang, S.-Y.; Zhang, Z.-W.; Lehner, M. J.; Cook, K. H.; King, S.-K.; Lee, T.; Marshall, S. L.; Schwamb, M. E.; Wang, J.-H.; Wen, C.-Y. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Alcock, C.; Protopapas, P. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Axelrod, T. [Steward Observatory, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Room N204, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bianco, F. B. [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States); Byun, Y.-I. [Department of Astronomy and University Observatory, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Chen, W. P.; Ngeow, C.-C. [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, No. 300, Jhongda Road, Jhongli City, Taoyuan County 320, Taiwan (China); Kim, D.-W. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Rice, J. A., E-mail: ishioka@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw [Department of Statistics, University of California Berkeley, 367 Evans Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2014-04-01

    The Taiwanese-American Occultation Survey project is designed for the detection of stellar occultations by small-size Kuiper Belt Objects, and it has monitored selected fields along the ecliptic plane by using four telescopes with a 3 deg{sup 2} field of view on the sky since 2005. We have analyzed data accumulated during 2005-2012 to detect variable stars. Sixteen fields with observations of more than 100 epochs were examined. We recovered 85 variables among a total of 158 known variable stars in these 16 fields. Most of the unrecovered variables are located in the fields observed less frequently. We also detected 58 variable stars which are not listed in the International Variable Star Index of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. These variable stars are classified as 3 RR Lyrae, 4 Cepheid, 1 δ Scuti, 5 Mira, 15 semi-regular, and 27 eclipsing binaries based on the periodicity and the profile of the light curves.

  3. AN X-RAY UPPER LIMIT ON THE PRESENCE OF A NEUTRON STAR FOR THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD SUPERNOVA REMNANT 1E0102.2-7219

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rutkowski, M. J.; Windhorst, R. A.; Schlegel, E. M.; Keohane, J. W.

    2010-01-01

    We present Chandra X-ray Observatory archival observations of the supernova remnant 1E0102.2-7219, a young oxygen-rich remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Combining 28 ObsIDs for 324 ks of total exposure time, we present an Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer image with an unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio (mean S/N ≅√S∼ 6; maximum S/N > 35). We search within the remnant, using the source detection software WAVDETECT, for point sources which may indicate a compact object. Despite finding numerous detections of high significance in both broad and narrowband images of the remnant, we are unable to satisfactorily distinguish whether these detections correspond to emission from a compact object. We also present upper limits to the luminosity of an obscured compact stellar object which were derived from an analysis of spectra extracted from the high signal-to-noise image. We are able to further constrain the characteristics of a potential neutron star for this remnant with the results of the analysis presented here, though we cannot confirm the existence of such an object for this remnant.

  4. Diagnosis of an isolated occult fracture of the posterior margin of the tibia with the SPECT/CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourdon, A.; Granier, P.; Mourad, M.

    2007-01-01

    We report the case of a 56-year-old woman, investigated for pains of the right ankle related to a trauma of an unspecified mechanism. The radiographic assessment was negative. The 99m Tc-HDP 3-phase bone scintigraphy highlighted, on the blood pool and the delayed images, a located lesion on the right ankle. The single photon emission computerized tomography guided by computerized tomography (SPECT-CT) showed a focused uptake on the posterior margin of the right tibia and a sharp lucent line within the tomo-scintigraphy spot of uptake. The diagnosis accepted was an isolated occult fracture of the posterior margin of the right tibia. The contribution of the 99m Tc-HDP 3-phase bone scintigraphy combined with the SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of the occult fractures is discussed. (N.C.)

  5. Olive oil increases the magnitude of postprandial chylomicron remnants compared to milk fat and safflower oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higashi, K; Ishikawa, T; Shige, H; Tomiyasu, K; Yoshida, H; Ito, T; Nakajima, K; Yonemura, A; Sawada, S; Nakamura, H

    1997-10-01

    The acute effects of olive oil, milk fat and safflower oil on postprandial lipemia and remnant lipoprotein metabolism were investigated. Eight Healthy male volunteers randomly underwent three types of oral fat-vitamin A loading tests. The test drink was a mixture of retinyl palmitate (RP)(50,000 IU of aqueous vitamin A/m2 body surface area) and one of the three types of oils (40 g of fat/m2 body surface area): olive oil (70.7% oleic acid of total fatty acids); milk fat (69.3% saturated fatty acid); safflower oil (74.2% linoleic acid). Olive oil significantly increased plasma triacylglycerol and RP concentrations 4 hours after fat loading, as compared to other fats. Increases of remnant like particle concentrations were higher after olive oil than after the other two fats. These results show that olive oil increases the magnitude of postprandial chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants compared to milk fat and safflower oil.

  6. The origin of radio recombination lines seen toward supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pankonin, V.; Downes, D.

    1976-01-01

    New observations have been made of the 166 α spectrum in the direction of the supernova remnants G-0.6 - 0.1, 3 C 391 and W 49 B. The variation of the intensity of the hydrogen recombination lines with frequency indicates that the lines arise in extended, low-density H II regions and not in cold clouds. (orig.) [de

  7. G25.5 + 0.2: a very young supernova remnant or a galactic planetary nebula?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.L.; Becker, R.H.

    1990-01-01

    G25.5 + 0.2, a radio source suggested by previous authors to be a very young galactic supernova remnant, is more likely to be a planetary nebula. Its IRAS colours and fluxes and its radio spectrum and morphology are all consistent with the properties of planetary nebulae; its radio flux and distance imply a large mass of ionized gas, which is expected from a Type I planetary nebula lying in the galactic plane. We suggest some definitive observations which should be able to determine whether this interesting object is a planetary nebula or a supernova remnant. (author)

  8. The remnants of restinga habitats in the brazilian Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil: habitat loss and risk of disappearance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, C F D; Bergallo, H G; Van Sluys, M; Alves, M A S; Jamel, C E

    2007-05-01

    "Restingas" (herbaceous/shrubby coastal sand-dune habitats) used to cover most of Rio de Janeiro State coast, and have suffered extensive degradation over the last five centuries. Using satellite images and field work, we identified the remaining restingas in the State, recording the factors that might cause their degradation. We used two mosaics of Landsat 7 scenes (spatial resolution 15 and 30 m) to map and evaluate preliminarly the remaining areas and conservation status. Each remnant area was checked in the field, degraded areas within it were mapped and subtracted from the remnants. We identified 21 restinga remnants totalling 105,285 ha. The largest and smallest restinga remnants were Jurubatiba (25,141 ha) and Itaipu (23 ha), respectively. We identified 14 causes of degradation. The most important were vegetation removal for housing developments, establishment of exotic plant species, change of original substrate, and selective removal of species of economic importance for the horticultural industry. All restingas had disturbed parts under strong pressure due to human activities. Due to intense habitat loss, and occurrence of endemic/threatened vertebrate species in restinga habitats, we strongly indicate the implementation of new conservation units to protect these fragile remnants. This habitat is steadily decreasing and most remnants lack legal protection. Therefore, under the current human pressure most of this unique habitat is likely to be lost from the State within the next few years.

  9. DEEP X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE YOUNG HIGH-MAGNETIC-FIELD RADIO PULSAR J1119-6127 AND SUPERNOVA REMNANT G292.2-0.5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ng, C.-Y.; Kaspi, V. M. [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Ho, W. C. G. [School of Mathematics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Weltevrede, P. [Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Bogdanov, S. [Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027 (United States); Shannon, R. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Sciences, Australia Telescope National Facility, Marsfield, NSW 2210 (Australia); Gonzalez, M. E., E-mail: ncy@physics.mcgill.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada)

    2012-12-10

    High-magnetic-field radio pulsars are important transition objects for understanding the connection between magnetars and conventional radio pulsars. We present a detailed study of the young radio pulsar J1119-6127, which has a characteristic age of 1900 yr and a spin-down-inferred magnetic field of 4.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} G, and its associated supernova remnant G292.2-0.5, using deep XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray Observatory exposures of over 120 ks from each telescope. The pulsar emission shows strong modulation below 2.5 keV with a single-peaked profile and a large pulsed fraction of 0.48 {+-} 0.12. Employing a magnetic, partially ionized hydrogen atmosphere model, we find that the observed pulse profile can be produced by a single hot spot of temperature 0.13 keV covering about one-third of the stellar surface, and we place an upper limit of 0.08 keV for an antipodal hot spot with the same area. The non-uniform surface temperature distribution could be the result of anisotropic heat conduction under a strong magnetic field, and a single-peaked profile seems common among high-B radio pulsars. For the associated remnant G292.2-0.5, its large diameter could be attributed to fast expansion in a low-density wind cavity, likely formed by a Wolf-Rayet progenitor, similar to two other high-B radio pulsars.

  10. Clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer in remnant stomach or gastric tube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishide, N; Ono, H; Kakushima, N; Takizawa, K; Tanaka, M; Matsubayashi, H; Yamaguchi, Y

    2012-06-01

    Little information exists regarding the optimal treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) in a remnant stomach or gastric tube. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for EGC in a remnant stomach and gastric tube. Between September 2002 and December 2009, ESD was performed in 62 lesions in 59 patients with EGC in a remnant stomach (48 lesions) or gastric tube (14 lesions). Clinicopathological data were retrieved retrospectively to assess the en bloc resection rate, complications, and outcomes. Treatment results were assessed according to the indications for endoscopic resection, and were compared with those of ESD performed in a whole stomach during the same study period. The en bloc resection rates for lesions within the standard and expanded indication were 100 % and 93 %, respectively. Postoperative bleeding occurred in five patients (8 %). The perforation rate was significantly higher (18 %, 11 /62) than that of ESD in a whole stomach (5 %, 69 /1479). Among the perforation cases, eight lesions involved the anastomotic site or stump line, and ulcerative changes were observed in five lesions. The 3-year overall survival rate was 85 %, with eight deaths due to other causes and no deaths from gastric cancer. A high en bloc resection rate was achieved by ESD for EGC in a remnant stomach or gastric tube; however, this procedure is still technically demanding due to the high complication rate of perforation. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  11. Dust in Supernovae and Supernova Remnants II: Processing and Survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micelotta, E. R.; Matsuura, M.; Sarangi, A.

    2018-03-01

    Observations have recently shown that supernovae are efficient dust factories, as predicted for a long time by theoretical models. The rapid evolution of their stellar progenitors combined with their efficiency in precipitating refractory elements from the gas phase into dust grains make supernovae the major potential suppliers of dust in the early Universe, where more conventional sources like Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars did not have time to evolve. However, dust yields inferred from observations of young supernovae or derived from models do not reflect the net amount of supernova-condensed dust able to be expelled from the remnants and reach the interstellar medium. The cavity where the dust is formed and initially resides is crossed by the high velocity reverse shock which is generated by the pressure of the circumstellar material shocked by the expanding supernova blast wave. Depending on grain composition and initial size, processing by the reverse shock may lead to substantial dust erosion and even complete destruction. The goal of this review is to present the state of the art about processing and survival of dust inside supernova remnants, in terms of theoretical modelling and comparison to observations.

  12. Limitations of intraoperative adrenal remnant volume measurement in patients undergoing subtotal adrenalectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brauckhoff, Michael; Stock, Karsten; Stock, Susanne; Lorenz, Kerstin; Sekulla, Carsten; Brauckhoff, Katrin; Thanh, Phuong Nguyen; Gimm, Oliver; Spielmann, Rolf Peter; Dralle, Henning

    2008-05-01

    Recent studies have shown that a minimum of approximately one-third of one normal adrenal gland is required for sufficient adrenocortical stress capacity. Correlation between intraoperative measurement, determination of remnant size by computed tomography (CT), and adrenocortical stress capacity has not been examined so far. Twenty-two patients with familial pheochromocytoma (n=13), sporadic pheochromocytoma (n=3), and adrenocortical tumors (n=6) who underwent unilateral or bilateral subtotal adrenalectomy (STAE, 28 adrenal remnants) were prospectively studied. Patients were examined in a multi-slice CT to determine residual adrenal tissue and by ACTH test 4 days and 3 months postoperatively. There was a slight significant correlation between intraoperative and CT calculated volumes (r=0.77; pSTAE has limitations. CT gives larger volumes compared with intraoperative determination. For calculation of a volume-function correlation of residual adrenal tissue, in clinical practice, the determination of relative adrenal residual volume is acceptable.

  13. X-ray characteristics of the Lupus Loop and SN1006 supernova remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toor, A [California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.

    1980-01-01

    The spatial extent of the Lupus Loop and spectra for the Lupus Loop and SN1006 supernova remnants have been determined with a rocket-borne payload. The Lupus Loop is an extended source of soft X-rays (approx. 300' diam) that shows a correlation between its brightest X-ray and radio-emission regions. Its spectrum is characterized by a temperature of 350 eV. Thus, the Lupus Loop appears similar to Vela X and Cygnus Loop, although much weaker. Emission from SN1006 is spatially unresolved and exhibits a harder spectrum than that of the Lupus Loop. All spectral data (0.2 100 keV) from our observation and previous observations are satisfactorily fit with a power law (index = 2.15). This spectral dependence suggests the possibility that a rotating neutron star is the underlying source of the radiated energy although such an interpretation appears inconsistent with the remnant's morphology.

  14. X-ray characteristics of the Lupus Loop and SN1006 supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toor, A.

    1980-01-01

    The spatial extent of the Lupus Loop and spectra for the Lupus Loop and SN1006 supernova remnants have been determined with a rocket-borne payload. The Lupus Loop is an extended source of soft X-rays (approx. 300' diam) that shows a correlation between its brightest X-ray and radio-emission regions. Its spectrum is characterized by a temperature of 350 eV. Thus, the Lupus Loop appears similar to Vela X and Cygnus Loop, although much weaker. Emission from SN1006 is spatially unresolved and exhibits a harder spectrum than that of the Lupus Loop. All spectral data (0.2 100 keV) from our observation and previous observations are satisfactorily fit with a power law (index = 2.15). This spectral dependence suggests the possibility that a rotating neutron star is the underlying source of the radiated energy although such an interpretation appears inconsistent with the remnant's morphology. (orig.)

  15. Initial Experience of Tomosynthesis-Guided Vacuum-Assisted Biopsies of Tomosynthesis-Detected (2D Mammography and Ultrasound Occult) Architectural Distortions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Bhavika K; Covington, Matthew; Pizzitola, Victor J; Lorans, Roxanne; Giurescu, Marina; Eversman, William; Lewin, John

    2018-03-23

    As experience and aptitude in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) have increased, radiologists are seeing more areas of architectural distortion (AD) on DBT images compared with standard 2D mammograms. The purpose of this study is to report our experience using tomosynthesis-guided vacuum-assisted biopsies (VABs) for ADs that were occult at 2D mammography and ultrasound and to analyze the positive predictive value for malignancy. We performed a retrospective review of 34 DBT-detected ADs that were occult at mammography and ultrasound. We found a positive predictive value of 26% (nine malignancies in 34 lesions). Eight of the malignancies were invasive and one was ductal carcinoma in situ. The invasive cancers were grade 1 (4/8; 50%), grade 2 (2/8; 25%), or grade 3 (1/8; 13%); information about one invasive cancer was not available. The mean size of the invasive cancers at pathologic examination was 7.5 mm (range, 6-30 mm). Tomosynthesis-guided VAB is a feasible method to sample ADs that are occult at 2D mammography and ultrasound. Tomosynthesis-guided VAB is a minimally invasive method that detected a significant number of carcinomas, most of which were grade 1 cancers. Further studies are needed.

  16. X-ray emission from supernova remnants with particular reference to the Cygnus Loop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gronenschild, E.H.B.M.

    1979-01-01

    Observational or theoretical results related to the study of supernova remnants (SNRs) are described. Some background information is given by reviewing the present status of our knowledge of supernovae and supernova remnants, both from theory and observations. Also the distribution of all known radio, optical, and X-ray SNRs in the Galaxy is shown and a comparison is made. The X-ray observations of the well-known X-ray SNR the Cygnus Loop are discussed in detail and the discovery of a new X-ray emitting SNR W44 is described. Other radio sources are investigated, and the observed X-ray emission of SNRs are analysed using thermal spectra like exponential or bremsstrahlung spectra. The X-ray line spectrum that emerges from SNRs is described in detail. (Auth.)

  17. NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE VISHNIAC INSTABILITY IN SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michaut, C.; Cavet, C.; Bouquet, S. E.; Roy, F.; Nguyen, H. C.

    2012-01-01

    The Vishniac instability is thought to explain the complex structure of radiative supernova remnants in their Pressure-Driven Thin Shell (PDTS) phase after a blast wave (BW) has propagated from a central explosion. In this paper, the propagation of the BW and the evolution of the PDTS stage are studied numerically with the two-dimensional (2D) code HYDRO-MUSCL for a finite-thickness shell expanding in the interstellar medium (ISM). Special attention is paid to the adiabatic index, γ, and three distinct values are taken for the cavity (γ 1 ), the shell (γ 2 ), and the ISM (γ 3 ) with the condition γ 2 1 , γ 3 . This low value of γ 2 accounts for the high density in the shell achieved by a strong radiative cooling. Once the spherical background flow is obtained, the evolution of a 2D-axisymmetric perturbation is computed from the linear to the nonlinear regime. The overstable mechanism, previously demonstrated theoretically by E. T. Vishniac in 1983, is recovered numerically in the linear stage and is expected to produce and enhance anisotropies and clumps on the shock front, leading to the disruption of the shell in the nonlinear phase. The period of the increasing oscillations and the growth rate of the instability are derived from several points of view (the position of the perturbed shock front, mass fluxes along the shell, and density maps), and the most unstable mode differing from the value given by Vishniac is computed. In addition, the influence of several parameters (the Mach number, amplitude and wavelength of the perturbation, and adiabatic index) is examined and for wavelengths that are large enough compared to the shell thickness, the same conclusion arises: in the late stage of the evolution of the radiative supernova remnant, the instability is dampened and the angular initial deformation of the shock front is smoothed while the mass density becomes uniform with the angle. As a result, our model shows that the supernova remnant returns to a

  18. Magnetic Resonance Evaluation of Müllerian Remnants in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Roh-Eul; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Kim, Sang Youn; Kim, Seung Hyup

    2013-01-01

    To analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of Müllerian remnants in young females clinically suspected of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome in a primary amenorrhea workup. Fifteen young females underwent multiplanar T2- and transverse T1-weighted MRI at either a 1.5T or 3.0T MR imager. Two gynecologic radiologists reached consensus decisions for the evaluation of Müllerian remnants, vagina, ovaries, and associated findings. All cases had bilateral uterine buds in the pelvic cavity, with unilateral cavitation in two cases. The buds had an average long-axis diameter of 2.64 ± 0.65 cm. In all cases, bilateral buds were connected with fibrous band-like structures. In 13 cases, the band-like structures converged at the midline or a paramedian triangular soft tissue lying above the bladder dome. The lower one-third of the vagina was identified in 14 cases. Fourteen cases showed bilateral normal ovaries near the uterine buds. One unilateral pelvic kidney, one unilateral renal agenesis, one mild scoliosis, and three lumbar sacralization cases were found as associated findings. Typical Müllerian remnants in MRKH syndrome consist of bilateral uterine buds connected by the fibrous band-like structures, which converge at the midline triangular soft tissue lying above the bladder dome

  19. Practical Aspects of X-ray Imaging Polarimetry of Supernova Remnants and Other Extended Sources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacco Vink

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The new generation of X-ray polarisation detectors, the gas pixel detectors, which will be employed by the future space missions IXPE and eXTP, allows for spatially resolved X-ray polarisation studies. This will be of particular interest for X-ray synchrotron emission from extended sources like young supernova remnants and pulsar wind nebulae. Here we report on employing a polarisation statistic that can be used to makes maps in the Stokes I, Q, and U parameters, a method that we expand by correcting for the energy-dependent instrumental modulation factor, using optimal weighting of the signal. In order to explore the types of Stokes maps that can be obtained, we present a Monte Carlo simulation program called xpolim, with which different polarisation weighting schemes are explored. We illustrate its use with simulations of polarisation maps of young supernova remnants, after having described the general science case for polarisation studies of supernova remnants, and its connection to magnetic-field turbulence. We use xpolim simulations to show that in general deep, ~2 Ms observations are needed to recover polarisation signals, in particular for Cas A, for which in the polarisation fraction may be as low as 5%.

  20. Magnetic Resonance Evaluation of Müllerian Remnants in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Roh-Eul; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Kim, Sang Youn; Kim, Seung Hyup [Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-07-01

    To analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of Müllerian remnants in young females clinically suspected of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome in a primary amenorrhea workup. Fifteen young females underwent multiplanar T2- and transverse T1-weighted MRI at either a 1.5T or 3.0T MR imager. Two gynecologic radiologists reached consensus decisions for the evaluation of Müllerian remnants, vagina, ovaries, and associated findings. All cases had bilateral uterine buds in the pelvic cavity, with unilateral cavitation in two cases. The buds had an average long-axis diameter of 2.64 ± 0.65 cm. In all cases, bilateral buds were connected with fibrous band-like structures. In 13 cases, the band-like structures converged at the midline or a paramedian triangular soft tissue lying above the bladder dome. The lower one-third of the vagina was identified in 14 cases. Fourteen cases showed bilateral normal ovaries near the uterine buds. One unilateral pelvic kidney, one unilateral renal agenesis, one mild scoliosis, and three lumbar sacralization cases were found as associated findings. Typical Müllerian remnants in MRKH syndrome consist of bilateral uterine buds connected by the fibrous band-like structures, which converge at the midline triangular soft tissue lying above the bladder dome.

  1. Removal of foreskin remnants in circumcised adults for treatment of premature ejaculation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reza Namavar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim : Premature ejaculation (PE is the most prevalent sexual dysfunction in every country. There are many types of treatment, but the main limitation of medical treatment for premature ejaculation is recurrence after withdrawal of medicine. The prepuce is a specific erogenous zone that contains a rich and complex network of nerves. Circumcision radically desensitizes the penis, but incomplete circumcision may cause premature ejaculation. We evaluate the effect of removal of foreskin remnants in adults on PE. Materials and Methods : The sensitive area of penile skin and the remaining parts of foreskin in adult men were recognized in 47 selective patients. Under local anesthesia, the remnant parts of foreskin were incised and removed. They were asked to fill the investigating questionnaire about the changes of intravaginal latency ejaculatory time (IVELT, patients and their sexual partners′ satisfaction with sexual life, control over ejaculation, and penile sensitivity, before and after treatment. Results : There were no signs of inflammation and no serious adverse reactions in all cases after operation. IVELT significantly increased from 64.25 before surgery to 731.49 sec after surgery (P<0.001. The percentage of postoperative satisfaction in both the patient and his partner significantly increased (P<0.001. After surgery, 95.7% of men had better control over their ejaculation. This surgery significantly decreased sensitivity of penis (P<0.001, but it did not change glans penis insensitivity. Conclusions : These results indicate that removal of foreskin remnants in adults is an effective modality in selective patients of PE.

  2. EVOLUTION OF HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION IN MATURE SHELL-TYPE SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng, Houdun; Xin, Yuliang; Liu, Siming; Zhang, Shuinai [Key Laboratory of Dark Matter and Space Astronomy, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Jokipii, J. R. [University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721 (United States); Zhang, Li, E-mail: zhd@pmo.ac.cn, E-mail: liusm@pmo.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Astroparticle Physics of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650091 (China)

    2017-01-10

    Multi-wavelength observations of mature supernova remnants (SNRs), especially with recent advances in γ -ray astronomy, make it possible to constrain energy distribution of energetic particles within these remnants. In consideration of the SNR origin of Galactic cosmic rays and physics related to particle acceleration and radiative processes, we use a simple one-zone model to fit the nonthermal emission spectra of three shell-type SNRs located within 2° on the sky: RX J1713.7−3946, CTB 37B, and CTB 37A. Although radio images of these three sources all show a shell (or half-shell) structure, their radio, X-ray, and γ -ray spectra are quite different, offering an ideal case to explore evolution of energetic particle distribution in SNRs. Our spectral fitting shows that (1) the particle distribution becomes harder with aging of these SNRs, implying a continuous acceleration process, and the particle distributions of CTB 37A and CTB 37B in the GeV range are harder than the hardest distribution that can be produced at a shock via the linear diffusive shock particle acceleration process, so spatial transport may play a role; (2) the energy loss timescale of electrons at the high-energy cutoff due to synchrotron radiation appears to be always a bit (within a factor of a few) shorter than the age of the corresponding remnant, which also requires continuous particle acceleration; (3) double power-law distributions are needed to fit the spectra of CTB 37B and CTB 37A, which may be attributed to shock interaction with molecular clouds.

  3. Celestial shadows eclipses, transits, and occultations

    CERN Document Server

    Westfall, John

    2015-01-01

    Much of what is known about the universe comes from the study of celestial shadows—eclipses, transits, and occultations.  The most dramatic are total eclipses of the Sun, which constitute one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring events of nature.  Though once a source of consternation or dread, solar eclipses now lead thousands of amateur astronomers and eclipse-chasers to travel to remote points on the globe to savor their beauty and the adrenaline-rush of experiencing totality, and were long the only source of information about the hauntingly beautiful chromosphere and corona of the Sun.   Long before Columbus, the curved shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse revealed that we inhabit a round world. The rare and wonderful transits of Venus, which occur as it passes between the Earth and the Sun, inspired eighteenth century expeditions to measure the distance from the Earth to the Sun, while the recent transits of 2004 and 2012 were the most widely observed ever--and still produced re...

  4. Subfracture insult to the human cadaver patellofemoral joint produces occult injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, P J; Haut, R C

    1995-11-01

    The current criterion used by the automotive industry for injury to the lower extremity is based on visible bone fracture. Studies suggest, however, that chronic joint degeneration may occur after subfracture impact loads on the knee. We hypothesized that subfracture loading of the patellofemoral joint could result in previously undocumented microtrauma in areas of high contact pressure. In the current study, seven patellofemoral joints from human cadavers were subjected to impact with successively greater energy until visible fracture was noted. Transverse and comminuted fractures of the patella were noted at 6.7 kN of load. Approximately 45% of the impact energy then was delivered to the contralateral joint. Subfracture loads of 5.2 kN resulted in no gross bone fracture in five of seven specimens. Histological examination of the patellae horizontal split fracture in the subchondral bone, at the tidemark, or at the interface of calcified cartilage and subchondral bone. The trauma appeared predominantly on the lateral facet, adjacent to or directly beneath preexisting fibrillation of the articular surface. Surface fibrillation was noted in histological sections of control patellae (not subjected to impact loading), but occult damages were not observed. Although the mechanism of this occult trauma is unknown, similar damage has been shown to occur from direct shear loading. As these microcracks can potentiate a disease process in the joint, this study may suggest that the current criterion for injury, based on bone fracture alone, is not sufficiently conservative.

  5. The occult nature of intramedullary spinal cord metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Zakaria, Zaitun

    2012-01-01

    Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are characterised by a tendency to metastasise widely, often while remaining occult. Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) from RCC may be the presenting feature of the disease or present at any time in the disease course. This case report discusses an ISCM from RCC which became manifested at the time of resection of the primary tumour. We review the literature published on ISCM from RCC from 1990 to date comparing disease characteristics and presentations.

  6. A modified theoretical Σ − D relation for supernova remnants: I. The case of constant temperature within the supernova remnant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Urošević Dejan V.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a modification of the theoretical Σ − D relation for supernova remnants (SNRs in the adiabatic expansion phase. This modification is based on the convolution of the relation first derived by Shklovsky with the Σ − D relation derived in this paper for thermal bremsstrahlung radiation from the ionized gas cloud. We adopt McKee & Ostriker’s model for the components of the interstellar medium as part of our derivation. The modified Shklovsky theory agrees well with empirical results. Kesteven’s modified theoretical relation gives the best agreement with the updated Galactic empirical Σ − D relation.

  7. Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy with Atypical Findings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Karagiannis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. To report a case of acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR with atypical electrophysiology findings. Case Presentation. A 23-year-old-female presented with visual acuity deterioration in her right eye accompanied by photopsia bilaterally. Corrected distance visual acuity at presentation was 20/50 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Fundus examination was unremarkable. Visual field (VF testing revealed a large scotoma. Pattern and full-field electroretinograms (PERG and ERG revealed macular involvement associated with generalized retinal dysfunction. Electrooculogram (EOG light rise and the Arden ratio were within normal limits bilaterally. The patient was diagnosed with AZOOR due to clinical findings, visual field defect, and ERG findings. Conclusion. This is a case of AZOOR with characteristic VF defects and clinical symptoms presenting with atypical EOG findings.

  8. On Neutron Star/Supernova Remnant Association

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gvaramadze, V. V.

    It is pointed out that a cavity supernova (SN) explosion of a moving massive star could result in a significant offset of the neutron star (NS) birth-place from the geometrical centre of the supernova remnant (SNR). Therefore: a) the high implied transverse velocities of a number of NSs (e.g. PSR B1610-50, PSR B1706-44, PSR B1757-24, SGR 0526-66) could be reduced; b) the proper motion vector of a NS should not necessarily point away from the geometrical centre of the associated SNR; c) the circle of possible NS/SNR associations could be enlarged. An observational test is discussed, which could provide a determination of the true birth-places of NSs associated with middle-aged SNRs, and thereby provide more reliable estimates of their transverse velocities.

  9. STAR FORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT IC443

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Jinlong; Wang Junjie; Miller, Martin

    2011-01-01

    We have performed submillimeter and millimeter observations in CO lines toward supernova remnant (SNR) IC443. The CO molecular shell coincides well with the partial shell of the SNR detected in radio continuum observations. Broad emission lines and three 1720 MHz OH masers were detected in the CO molecular shell. The present observations have provided further evidence in support of the interaction between the SNR and the adjoining molecular clouds (MCs). The total mass of the MCs is 9.26 x 10 3 M sun . The integrated CO line intensity ratio (R I CO(3-2) /I CO(2-1) ) for the whole MC is between 0.79 and 3.40. The average value is 1.58, which is much higher than previous measurements of individual Galactic MCs. Higher line ratios imply that shocks have driven into the MCs. We conclude that high R I CO(3-2) /I CO(2-1) is identified as a good signature of the SNR-MC interacting system. Based on the IRAS Point Source Catalog and the Two Micron All Sky Survey near-infrared database, 12 protostellar object and 1666 young stellar object (YSO) candidates (including 154 classical T Tauri stars and 419 Herbig Ae/Be stars) are selected. In the interacting regions, the significant enhancement of the number of protostellar objects and YSOs indicates the presence of some recently formed stars. After comparing the characteristic timescales of star formation with the age of IC443, we conclude that the protostellar objects and YSO candidates are not triggered by IC443. For the age of the stellar winds shell, we have performed our calculation on the basis of a stellar wind shell expansion model. The results and analysis suggest that the formation of these stars may be triggered by the stellar winds of the IC443 progenitor.

  10. Evolution Models of Helium White Dwarf–Main-sequence Star Merger Remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xianfei; Bi, Shaolan; Hall, Philip D.; Jeffery, C. Simon

    2017-01-01

    It is predicted that orbital decay by gravitational-wave radiation and tidal interaction will cause some close binary stars to merge within a Hubble time. The merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence (MS) star can produce a red giant branch star that has a low-mass hydrogen envelope when helium is ignited and thus become a hot subdwarf. Because detailed calculations have not been made, we compute post-merger models with a stellar evolution code. We find the evolutionary paths available to merger remnants and find the pre-merger conditions that lead to the formation of hot subdwarfs. We find that some such mergers result in the formation of stars with intermediate helium-rich surfaces. These stars later develop helium-poor surfaces owing to diffusion. Combining our results with a model population and comparing to observed stars, we find that some observed intermediate helium-rich hot subdwarfs can be explained as the remnants of the mergers of helium-core white dwarfs with low-mass MS stars.

  11. Evolution Models of Helium White Dwarf–Main-sequence Star Merger Remnants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xianfei; Bi, Shaolan [Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 (China); Hall, Philip D.; Jeffery, C. Simon, E-mail: zxf@bnu.edu.cn [Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG (United Kingdom)

    2017-02-01

    It is predicted that orbital decay by gravitational-wave radiation and tidal interaction will cause some close binary stars to merge within a Hubble time. The merger of a helium-core white dwarf with a main-sequence (MS) star can produce a red giant branch star that has a low-mass hydrogen envelope when helium is ignited and thus become a hot subdwarf. Because detailed calculations have not been made, we compute post-merger models with a stellar evolution code. We find the evolutionary paths available to merger remnants and find the pre-merger conditions that lead to the formation of hot subdwarfs. We find that some such mergers result in the formation of stars with intermediate helium-rich surfaces. These stars later develop helium-poor surfaces owing to diffusion. Combining our results with a model population and comparing to observed stars, we find that some observed intermediate helium-rich hot subdwarfs can be explained as the remnants of the mergers of helium-core white dwarfs with low-mass MS stars.

  12. The remnants of restinga habitats in the brazilian Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil: habitat loss and risk of disappearance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CFD. Rocha

    Full Text Available "Restingas" (herbaceous/shrubby coastal sand-dune habitats used to cover most of Rio de Janeiro State coast, and have suffered extensive degradation over the last five centuries. Using satellite images and field work, we identified the remaining restingas in the State, recording the factors that might cause their degradation. We used two mosaics of Landsat 7 scenes (spatial resolution 15 and 30 m to map and evaluate preliminarly the remaining areas and conservation status. Each remnant area was checked in the field, degraded areas within it were mapped and subtracted from the remnants. We identified 21 restinga remnants totalling 105,285 ha. The largest and smallest restinga remnants were Jurubatiba (25,141 ha and Itaipu (23 ha, respectively. We identified 14 causes of degradation. The most important were vegetation removal for housing developments, establishment of exotic plant species, change of original substrate, and selective removal of species of economic importance for the horticultural industry. All restingas had disturbed parts under strong pressure due to human activities. Due to intense habitat loss, and occurrence of endemic/threatened vertebrate species in restinga habitats, we strongly indicate the implementation of new conservation units to protect these fragile remnants. This habitat is steadily decreasing and most remnants lack legal protection. Therefore, under the current human pressure most of this unique habitat is likely to be lost from the State within the next few years.

  13. Remnants of occipital vertebrae: proatlas segmentation abnormalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menezes, Arnold H; Fenoy, Kathleen A

    2009-05-01

    Developmental remnants around the foramen magnum, or proatlas segmentation abnormalities, have been recorded in postmortem studies but very rarely in a clinical setting. Because of their rarity, the pathological anatomy has been misunderstood, and treatment has been fraught with failures. The objectives of this prospective study were to understand the correlative anatomy, pathology, and embryology and to recognize the clinical presentation and gain insights on the treatment and management. Our craniovertebral junction (CVJ) database started in 1977 and comprises 5200 cases. This prospective study has retrieval capabilities. Neurodiagnostic studies changed with the evolution of imaging. Seventy-two patients were recognized as having symptomatic proatlas segmentation abnormalities. Ventral bony masses from the clivus or medial occipital condyle occurred in 66% (44/72), lateral or anterolateral compressive masses in 37% (27 of 72 patients), and dorsal bony compression in 17% (12 of 72 patients). Hindbrain herniation was associated in 33%. The age at presentation was 3 to 23 years. Motor symptoms occurred in 72% (52 of 72 patients); palsies in Cranial Nerves IX, X, and XII in 33% (24 of 72 patients); and vertebrobasilar symptoms in 25% (18 of 72 patients). Trauma precipitated symptoms in 55% (40 of 72 patients). The best definition of the abnormality was demonstrated by 3-dimensional computed tomography combined with magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment was aimed at decompression of the pathology and stabilization. Remnants of the occipital vertebrae around the foramen magnum were recognized in 72 of 5200 CVJ cases (7.2%). Magnetic resonance imaging with 3-dimensional computed tomography of the CVJ provides the best definition and understanding of the lesions. Brainstem myelopathy and lower cranial nerve deficits are common clinical presentations in the first and second decades of life. Treatment is aimed at decompression of the pathology and CVJ stabilization.

  14. Benner's remnants: culture, tradition and everyday understanding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paley, John

    2002-06-01

    Benner's account of meaning and embodiment in nursing depends on a theory which she has never fully articulated, although she makes numerous allusions to it. Behind the background of shared meanings hovers something called 'culture', which provides each individual with meaning, determines what counts as real for her, and actively hands down interpretation-laden practices. This view is based, Benner claims, on the Heideggerian assumption that the meaning and organization of a culture precedes individual meaning-giving activity. I explore Benner's implicit view of culture, drawing on her published work over 15 years, and offer an appraisal of it. In doing so, I attempt to make sense of some rather strange remarks Benner has recently made about 'remnants' of Cartesian and Kantian thinking being found in the everyday understandings of people with asthma. The concept of culture is developed with reference to both Benner's own work and that of the anthropologist, Clifford Geertz, whose work she frequently cites. Having identified the principal tenets of what we might conveniently call the Benner-Geertz theory, I proceed to interrogate the theory, using the recent anthropological literature -- and, in particular, materialist attacks on the idea of culture as a system of meanings -- in order to cast doubt on it. I also review, very briefly, an alternative way of understanding 'culture', which is not vulnerable to the same criticisms. Benner's implicit theory of culture is revealed, somewhat ironically, as an inverted form of Cartesian dualism. Its intellectual provenance is not Heidegger, who appears to reject it, but the sort of American sociology associated with Talcott Parsons. As a corollary, it is suggested that Benner's 'remnants' analogy cannot be justified, and that the idea of Cartesian and Kantian concepts permeating Western culture, infecting both the providers and receivers of health care, is a myth.

  15. Increased Remnant Cholesterol Explains Part of Residual Risk of All-Cause Mortality in 5414 Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jepsen, Anne-Marie K; Langsted, Anne; Varbo, Anette

    2016-01-01

    measured remnant cholesterol; importantly, however, measured remnant cholesterol made up only 9% of calculated remnant cholesterol at nonfasting triglyceride concentrations 1 mmol/L (89 mg/dL) and only 43% at triglycerides >5 mmol/L (443 mg/dL). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality...... compared with patients with calculated remnant cholesterol concentrations in the 0 to 60th percentiles were 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1-1.4) for patients in the 61st to 80th percentiles, 1.3 (1.1-1.5) for the 81st to 90th percentiles, 1.5 (1.1-1.8) for the 91st to 95th percentiles, and 1.6 (1.2-2.0) for patients...... in the 96th to 100th percentiles (trend, P 1.0 (0.8-1.1), 1.2 (1.0-1.4), 1.1 (0.9-1.5), and 1.3 (1.1-1.7) (trend, P = 0.006), and for measured LDL cholesterol 1.0 (0.9-1.1), 1.0 (0.8-1.2), 1.0 (0.8-1.3), and 1.1 (0.8-1.4) (trend, P = 0...

  16. Detection of occult vertebral fractures by quantitative assessment of bone marrow attenuation values at MDCT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henes, Frank Oliver, E-mail: f.henes@uke.de [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Center for Radiology and Endoscopy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg (Germany); Groth, Michael [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Center for Radiology and Endoscopy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg (Germany); Kramer, Harald [Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792 (United States); Schaefer, Christian [Department of Trauma-, Hand- and Reconstructive Surgery, Spine Center, Center for Surgical Sciences, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg (Germany); Regier, Marc; Derlin, Thorsten; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Center for Radiology and Endoscopy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg (Germany)

    2014-01-15

    Objectives: To determine a cut-off value of Hounsfield attenuation units (HU) at multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for valid and reliable detection of bone marrow oedema (BME) related to occult vertebral fractures. Methods: 36 patients underwent both MDCT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for evaluation of vertebral fractures of the thoracolumbar spine and were included in this retrospective study. Two readers independently assessed HU values at MDCT in a total of 196 vertebrae. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman analysis. For each patient we determined the vertebra with the lowest HU value and calculated the HU-difference to each other vertebral body. HU-differences were subjected to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy for detection of BME as determined by MRI, which served as the reference standard. Results of HU-measurements were compared with standard visual evaluation of MDCT. Results: HU measurements demonstrated a high interrater reliability (ICC = 0.984). ROC curve analysis (AUC = 0.978) exhibited an ideal cut-off value of 29.6 HU for detection of BME associated with vertebral fractures with an accuracy of 97.4% as compared to 93.4% accuracy of visual evaluation. Particularly, HU-measurements increased the sensitivity for detection of vertebral fractures from 78.0% to 92.7% due to the detection of 7 of 9 occult fractures that were missed by visual evaluation alone. Conclusions: Assessing bone marrow density by HU measurements using the cut-off of 29.6 HU is a valid and reliable tool for detection of BME related to occult vertebral fractures in MDCT. The introduced technique may allow more accurate treatment decisions and may make further diagnostic work-up with MRI unnecessary.

  17. Detection of occult vertebral fractures by quantitative assessment of bone marrow attenuation values at MDCT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henes, Frank Oliver; Groth, Michael; Kramer, Harald; Schaefer, Christian; Regier, Marc; Derlin, Thorsten; Adam, Gerhard; Bannas, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: To determine a cut-off value of Hounsfield attenuation units (HU) at multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for valid and reliable detection of bone marrow oedema (BME) related to occult vertebral fractures. Methods: 36 patients underwent both MDCT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for evaluation of vertebral fractures of the thoracolumbar spine and were included in this retrospective study. Two readers independently assessed HU values at MDCT in a total of 196 vertebrae. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman analysis. For each patient we determined the vertebra with the lowest HU value and calculated the HU-difference to each other vertebral body. HU-differences were subjected to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy for detection of BME as determined by MRI, which served as the reference standard. Results of HU-measurements were compared with standard visual evaluation of MDCT. Results: HU measurements demonstrated a high interrater reliability (ICC = 0.984). ROC curve analysis (AUC = 0.978) exhibited an ideal cut-off value of 29.6 HU for detection of BME associated with vertebral fractures with an accuracy of 97.4% as compared to 93.4% accuracy of visual evaluation. Particularly, HU-measurements increased the sensitivity for detection of vertebral fractures from 78.0% to 92.7% due to the detection of 7 of 9 occult fractures that were missed by visual evaluation alone. Conclusions: Assessing bone marrow density by HU measurements using the cut-off of 29.6 HU is a valid and reliable tool for detection of BME related to occult vertebral fractures in MDCT. The introduced technique may allow more accurate treatment decisions and may make further diagnostic work-up with MRI unnecessary

  18. The size, shape, density and ring of the dwarf planet Haumea from a stellar occultation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, J L; Santos-Sanz, P; Sicardy, B; Benedetti-Rossi, G; Bérard, D; Morales, N; Duffard, R; Braga-Ribas, F; Hopp, U; Ries, C; Nascimbeni, V; Marzari, F; Granata, V; Pál, A; Kiss, C; Pribulla, T; Komžík, R; Hornoch, K; Pravec, P; Bacci, P; Maestripieri, M; Nerli, L; Mazzei, L; Bachini, M; Martinelli, F; Succi, G; Ciabattari, F; Mikuz, H; Carbognani, A; Gaehrken, B; Mottola, S; Hellmich, S; Rommel, F L; Fernández-Valenzuela, E; Bagatin, A Campo; Cikota, S; Cikota, A; Lecacheux, J; Vieira-Martins, R; Camargo, J I B; Assafin, M; Colas, F; Behrend, R; Desmars, J; Meza, E; Alvarez-Candal, A; Beisker, W; Gomes-Junior, A R; Morgado, B E; Roques, F; Vachier, F; Berthier, J; Mueller, T G; Madiedo, J M; Unsalan, O; Sonbas, E; Karaman, N; Erece, O; Koseoglu, D T; Ozisik, T; Kalkan, S; Guney, Y; Niaei, M S; Satir, O; Yesilyaprak, C; Puskullu, C; Kabas, A; Demircan, O; Alikakos, J; Charmandaris, V; Leto, G; Ohlert, J; Christille, J M; Szakáts, R; Farkas, A Takácsné; Varga-Verebélyi, E; Marton, G; Marciniak, A; Bartczak, P; Santana-Ros, T; Butkiewicz-Bąk, M; Dudziński, G; Alí-Lagoa, V; Gazeas, K; Tzouganatos, L; Paschalis, N; Tsamis, V; Sánchez-Lavega, A; Pérez-Hoyos, S; Hueso, R; Guirado, J C; Peris, V; Iglesias-Marzoa, R

    2017-10-11

    Haumea-one of the four known trans-Neptunian dwarf planets-is a very elongated and rapidly rotating body. In contrast to other dwarf planets, its size, shape, albedo and density are not well constrained. The Centaur Chariklo was the first body other than a giant planet known to have a ring system, and the Centaur Chiron was later found to possess something similar to Chariklo's rings. Here we report observations from multiple Earth-based observatories of Haumea passing in front of a distant star (a multi-chord stellar occultation). Secondary events observed around the main body of Haumea are consistent with the presence of a ring with an opacity of 0.5, width of 70 kilometres and radius of about 2,287 kilometres. The ring is coplanar with both Haumea's equator and the orbit of its satellite Hi'iaka. The radius of the ring places it close to the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Haumea's spin period-that is, Haumea rotates three times on its axis in the time that a ring particle completes one revolution. The occultation by the main body provides an instantaneous elliptical projected shape with axes of about 1,704 kilometres and 1,138 kilometres. Combined with rotational light curves, the occultation constrains the three-dimensional orientation of Haumea and its triaxial shape, which is inconsistent with a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium. Haumea's largest axis is at least 2,322 kilometres, larger than previously thought, implying an upper limit for its density of 1,885 kilograms per cubic metre and a geometric albedo of 0.51, both smaller than previous estimates. In addition, this estimate of the density of Haumea is closer to that of Pluto than are previous estimates, in line with expectations. No global nitrogen- or methane-dominated atmosphere was detected.

  19. Bat activity at remnant oak trees in California Central Coast vineyards

    Science.gov (United States)

    William D. Tietje; Ted Weller; Christopher C. Yim

    2015-01-01

    During 1990 to 2013, the area planted with wine grapes increased nearly 4.5 times in San Luis Obispo County. Much of this development occurred on open oak savanna with scattered oak (Quercus spp.) trees. Remnant trees are retained in some vineyards, but their value to biodiversity retention has not been quantified. During April to September 2014,...

  20. High Energy Observational Investigations of Supernova Remnants and their Interactions with Surroundings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chung-Yue Hui

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Here we review the effort of Fermi Asian Network (FAN in exploring the supernova remnants (SNRs with state-of-art high energy observatories, including Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, in the period of 2011- 2012. Utilizing the data from Fermi LAT, we have discovered the GeV emission at the position of the Galactic SNR Kes 17 which provides evidence for the hadronic acceleration. Our study also sheds light on the propagation of cosmic rays from their acceleration site to the intersteller medium. We have also launched an identification campaign of SNR candidates in the Milky Way, in which a new SNR G308.3-1.4 have been uncovered with our Chandra observation. Apart from the remnant, we have also discovered an associated compact object at its center. The multiwavelength properties of this X-ray source suggest it can possibly be the compact binary that survived a supernova explosion.

  1. A hydrodynamical model of Kepler's supernova remnant constrained by x-ray spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballet, J.; Arnaud, M.; Rothinfluo, R.; Chieze, J.P.; Magne, B.

    1988-01-01

    The remnant of the historical supernova observed by Kepler in 1604 was recently observed in x-rays by the EXOSAT satellite up to 10 keV. A strong Fe K emission line around 6.5 keV is readily apparent in the spectrum. From an analysis of the light curve of the SN, reconstructed from historical descriptions, a previous study proposed to classify it as type I. Standard models of SN I based on carbon deflagration of white dwarf predict the synthesis of about 0.5 M circle of iron in the ejecta. Observing the iron line is a crucial check for such models. It has been argued that the light curve of Sn II-L is very similar to that of SN I and that the original observations are compatible with either type. In view of this uncertainty the authors have run a hydrodynamics-ionization code for both SN II and SN I remnants

  2. Spectroscopic observations of the supernova remnant candidates 3 C 400.2 and S91

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabbadin, F.; D'Odorico, S.

    1976-01-01

    Spectra of 3 C 400.2 and S 91 have been used to measure the emission line rations Hα/N II region, Hα/ SII region and 6,717/6,731 of S II region in the two nebulae. By comparing the measured ratios with the mean values observed in supernova remnants, in planetary nebulae und in glactic H II regions, it is possible to conclude that the two nebulae are the result of supernova explosions. For S 91, previously catalogued as an H II region, we derive a linear diameter of 34 pc and a distance of 0.7 kpc using a relation between the diameter of supernova remnants and the average Hα/ N II region intensity ratio in their optical filaments. (orig.) [de

  3. Histogram Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficients for Occult Tonsil Cancer in Patients with Cervical Nodal Metastasis from an Unknown Primary Site at Presentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Young Jun; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Kim, Hye Ok; Kim, Dae Yoon; Yoon, Ra Gyoung; Cho, So Hyun; Koh, Myeong Ju; Kim, Namkug; Kim, Sang Yoon; Baek, Jung Hwan

    2016-01-01

    To explore the added value of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values over magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and fluorine 18 ((18)F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for the detection of occult palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients with cervical nodal metastasis from a cancer of an unknown primary site. The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. Differences in the bimodal histogram parameters of the ADC values were assessed among occult palatine tonsil SCC (n = 19), overt palatine tonsil SCC (n = 20), and normal palatine tonsils (n = 20). One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze differences among the three groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the best differentiating parameters. The increased sensitivity of histogram analysis over MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of occult palatine tonsil SCC was evaluated as added value. Histogram analysis showed statistically significant differences in the mean, standard deviation, and 50th and 90th percentile ADC values among the three groups (P histogram analysis was 52.6% over MR imaging alone and 15.8% over combined conventional MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Adding ADC histogram analysis to conventional MR imaging can improve the detection sensitivity for occult palatine tonsil SCC in patients with a cervical nodal metastasis originating from a cancer of an unknown primary site. © RSNA, 2015.

  4. A Deep X-Ray View of the Synchrotron-dominated Supernova Remnant G330.2+1.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Brian J.; Hewitt, John W.; Petre, Robert; Temim, Tea

    2018-03-01

    We present moderately deep (125 ks) XMM-Newton observations of supernova remnant G330.2+1.0. This remnant is one of only a few known that fall into the “synchrotron-dominated” category, with the emission almost entirely dominated by a nonthermal continuum. Previous X-ray observations could only characterize the spectra of a few regions. Here, we examine the spectra from 14 regions surrounding the entire rim, finding that the spectral properties of the nonthermal emission do not vary significantly in any systematic way from one part of the forward shock to another, unlike several other remnants of this class. We confirm earlier findings that the power-law index, Γ, ranges from about 2.1–2.5, while the absorbing column density is generally between (2.0–2.6) × 1022 cm‑2. Fits with the srcut model find values of the roll-off frequency in the range of 1017.1–1017.5 Hz, implying energies of accelerated electrons of ∼100 TeV. These values imply a high shock velocity of ∼4600 km s‑1, favoring a young age of the remnant. Diffuse emission from the interior is nonthermal in origin as well, and fits to these regions yield similar values to those along the rim, also implying a young age. Thermal emission is present in the east, and the spectrum is consistent with a ∼650 km s‑1 shock wave encountering interstellar or circumstellar material with a density of ∼1 cm‑3.

  5. Toward the Understanding of the Physical Origin of Recombining Plasma in the Supernova Remnant IC 443

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumura, Hideaki; Tanaka, Takaaki; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Okon, Hiromichi; Tsuru, Takeshi Go

    2017-12-01

    We perform a spatially resolved spectroscopic analysis of X-ray emission from the supernova remnant (SNR) IC 443 with Suzaku. All of the spectra are well reproduced by a model consisting of a collisional ionization equilibrium (CIE) and two recombining plasma (RP) components. Although previous X-ray studies found an RP in the northeastern region, this is the first report on RPs in the other parts of the remnant. The electron temperature, kT e , of the CIE component is almost uniform at ∼0.2 keV across the remnant. The CIE plasma has metal abundances consistent with solar and is concentrated toward the rim of the remnant, suggesting that it is of shocked interstellar medium origin. The two RP components have different kT e : one in the range of 0.16–0.28 keV and the other in the range of 0.48–0.67 keV. The electron temperatures of both RP components decrease toward the southeast, where the SNR shock is known to be interacting with a molecular cloud. We also find the normalization ratio of the lower-kT e RP to higher-kT e RP components increases toward the southeast. Both results suggest the X-ray emitting plasma in the southeastern region is significantly cooled by some mechanism. One of the plausible cooling mechanisms is a thermal conduction between the hot plasma and the molecular cloud. If the cooling proceeds faster than the recombination timescale of the plasma, the same mechanism can account for the recombining plasma as well.

  6. Significance of lymphadenectomy with splenectomy in radical surgery for advanced (pT3/pT4) remnant gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugita, Hiroki; Oda, Eri; Hirota, Masahiko; Ishikawa, Shinji; Tomiyasu, Shinjiro; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Arita, Tetsumasa; Yagi, Yasushi; Baba, Hideo

    2016-04-01

    To date, the optimal surgical strategy for remnant gastric cancer has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to clarify the significance of lymphadenectomy with splenectomy in remnant gastric cancer surgery. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Kumamoto Regional Medical Center. The primary endpoint was overall survival after surgery. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic features, surgical treatments, and long-term prognosis of remnant gastric cancer patients treated with total gastrectomy. A total of 80 patients with gastric cancer in the remnant stomach after distal gastrectomy and who underwent total gastrectomy were enrolled in the study. Splenectomy was performed in 38 patients. Lymph node metastasis in the splenic hilum was not observed in the patients with pT1/pT2 tumors, whereas nodal metastasis at the splenic hilum was detected in 30.4% of the patients with pT3/pT4 tumors. The survival rate of the patients with pT3/pT4 tumors who underwent splenectomy was significantly higher than that of the patients who did not undergo splenectomy, although there was no difference in the patients with pT1/pT2 tumors. Among the patients classified as R0, the survival rate of the patients with pT3/pT4 tumors who underwent splenectomy was significantly higher than that of the patients who did not undergo splenectomy. Lymphadenectomy with splenectomy in radical surgery is beneficial for patients with advanced (pT3/pT4) remnant gastric cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. ‘Trick’, ‘Manipulation’ and ‘Farce’: Albert Moll’s Critique of Occultism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolffram, Heather

    2012-01-01

    In July 1925, the psychiatrist Albert Moll appeared before the district court in Berlin-Schöneberg charged with having defamed the medium Maria Vollhardt (alias Rudloff) in his 1924 book Der Spiritismus [Spiritism]. Supported by some of Berlin’s most prominent occultists, the plaintiff – the medium’s husband – argued that Moll’s use of terms such as ‘trick’, ‘manipulation’ and ‘farce’ in reference to Vollhardt’s phenomena had been libellous. In the three-part trial that followed, however, Moll’s putative affront to the medium – of which he was eventually acquitted – was overshadowed, on the one hand, by a debate over the scientific status of parapsychology, and on the other, by the question of who – parapsychologists, occultists, psychiatrists or jurists – was entitled to claim epistemic authority over the occult. This paper will use the Rudloff–Moll trial as a means of examining Moll’s critique of occultism, not only as it stood in the mid-1920s, but also as it had developed since the 1880s. It will also provide insight into the views of Germany’s occultists and parapsychologists, who argued that their legitimate bid for scientific credibility was hindered by Dunkelmänner [obscurantists] such as Albert Moll. PMID:23002297

  8. When the bell tolls on Bell's palsy: finding occult malignancy in acute-onset facial paralysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quesnel, Alicia M; Lindsay, Robin W; Hadlock, Tessa A

    2010-01-01

    This study reports 4 cases of occult parotid malignancy presenting with sudden-onset facial paralysis to demonstrate that failure to regain tone 6 months after onset distinguishes these patients from Bell's palsy patients with delayed recovery and to propose a diagnostic algorithm for this subset of patients. A case series of 4 patients with occult parotid malignancies presenting with acute-onset unilateral facial paralysis is reported. Initial imaging on all 4 patients did not demonstrate a parotid mass. Diagnostic delays ranged from 7 to 36 months from time of onset of facial paralysis to time of diagnosis of parotid malignancy. Additional physical examination findings, especially failure to regain tone, as well as properly protocolled radiologic studies reviewed with dedicated head and neck radiologists, were helpful in arriving at the diagnosis. An algorithm to minimize diagnostic delays in this subset of acute facial paralysis patients is presented. Careful attention to facial tone, in addition to movement, is important in the diagnostic evaluation of acute-onset facial paralysis. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Electron number density profiles derived from radio occultation on the CASSIOPE spacecraft

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shume, E. B.; Vergados, P.; Komjathy, A.

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents electron number density profiles derived from high resolution Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) observations performed using the Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e-POP) payload on the high inclination CAScade, Smallsat and IOnospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE...... good agreement with density profiles estimated from ionosonde data, measured over nearby stations to the latitude and longitude of the RO tangent points, (2) in good agreement with density profiles inferred from GPS RO measured by the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere...

  10. A Python Calculator for Supernova Remnant Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leahy, D. A.; Williams, J. E.

    2017-05-01

    A freely available Python code for modeling supernova remnant (SNR) evolution has been created. This software is intended for two purposes: to understand SNR evolution and to use in modeling observations of SNR for obtaining good estimates of SNR properties. It includes all phases for the standard path of evolution for spherically symmetric SNRs. In addition, alternate evolutionary models are available, including evolution in a cloudy ISM, the fractional energy-loss model, and evolution in a hot low-density ISM. The graphical interface takes in various parameters and produces outputs such as shock radius and velocity versus time, as well as SNR surface brightness profile and spectrum. Some interesting properties of SNR evolution are demonstrated using the program.

  11. A newly-recognized galactic supernova remnant with shell-type and filled-center features

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, D.J.; Turtle, A.J.

    1988-01-01

    While the number of galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) now known is fairly large (>150), the subset among these that are known to resemble the Crab Nebula is still distressingly small, about 15 or so. Thus any object that can be unambiguously included in this exclusive club forms a valuable addition to knowledge of this class. The authors report observations of a newly recognized nonthermal galactic object, G18.94-1.06, having all the hallmarks of the classical shell-type SNRs, while also appearing to have a filled-centre component located inside the shell. Among the known Crab-like remnants, about one third show this dual nature. This diagnosis of G18.94-1.06 is supported mainly by the variations in spectral index across the source, as seen between the two observation frequencies, 408 MHz and 5.0 GHz

  12. ULTRA-WIDE-FIELD FUNDUS AUTOFLUORESCENCE FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE ZONAL OCCULT OUTER RETINOPATHY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shifera, Amde Selassie; Pennesi, Mark E; Yang, Paul; Lin, Phoebe

    2017-06-01

    To determine whether ultra-wide-field fundus autofluorescence (UWFFAF) findings in acute zonal occult outer retinopathy correlated well with perimetry, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinography findings. Retrospective observational study on 16 eyes of 10 subjects with AZOOR seen at a single referral center from October 2012 to March 2015 who had UWFFAF performed. Chi-square analysis was performed to compare categorical variables, and Mann-Whitney U test used for comparisons of nonparametric continuous variables. All eyes examined within 3 months of symptom onset (five of the five eyes) had diffusely hyperautofluorescent areas on UWFFAF. The remaining eyes contained hypoautofluorescent lesions with hyperautofluorescent borders. In 11/16 (68.8%) eyes, UWFFAF showed the full extent of lesions that would not have been possible with standard fundus autofluorescence centered on the fovea. There were 3 patterns of spread: centrifugal spread (7/16, 43.8%), centripetal spread (5/16, 31.3%), and centrifugal + centripetal spread (4/16, 25.0%). The UWFFAF lesions corresponded well with perimetric, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinography abnormalities. The UWFFAF along with optical coherence tomography can be useful in the evaluation and monitoring of acute zonal occult outer retinopathy patients.

  13. Study of the photon remnant in resolved photoproduction at HERA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Derrick, M.; Krakauer, D.; Magill, S.

    1995-01-01

    Photoproduction at HERA is studied in ep collisions, with the ZEUS detector, for γp centre-of-mass energies ranging from 130-270 GeV. A sample of events with two high-p T jets (p T >6 GeV, η T with respect to the beam axis is measured to be 2.1±0.2 GeV, which demonstrates substantial mean transverse momenta for the photon remnant. (orig.)

  14. Radio and X-ray emission from supernova remnants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asvarova, A.I.; Novruzova, H.I.; Ahmedova, S.I.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper it was studied the statistical correlation between radio and X-ray emissions from shell-type supernova remnants (SNR). The primary aim of this study is to test the model of radio emission of shell-type SNRs presented by one of the authors. Based on this model of radio emission, by using the Monte Carlo techniques we have simulated statistical relations radio - X-ray luminosities (not surface brightnesses) which then were compared with the observations. X-ray emission is assumed to be thermal. To have a uniform statistical material it was used observational data on the SNRs in Magellanic Clouds

  15. Occult lung malignancy presenting with finger pain: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Embley Matthew A

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Lung cancer is currently one of the most common malignancies in the world. Early detection is an important prognostic factor. Unfortunately, initial symptoms may be vague and a substantial proportion of cases present with the effects of metastases. Case presentation We discuss a case of occult lung malignancy in a 61-year-old man. The only symptom at presentation was pain in the right ring finger due to metastasis from the lung primary. Conclusion This case highlights the need for vigilance when a patient presents with unusual or unexplained symptoms, especially if they have known risk factors for cancer.

  16. Astrology and other occult sciences in seventeenth-century New Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avalos, Ana

    2006-01-01

    This article focuses on the relationship and mutual influence of astrology and other so-called occult sciences within the context of seventeenth-century New Spain. By presenting some case studies of inquisitorial trials against astrologers, it explores the interrelation between astrological and physiognomical ideas and practices in order to shed some light on the moral dimension of these natural philosophical fields of knowledge. During the early modern period, both astrology and physiognomy were regarded as tools for self-understanding and the understanding of others by means of interpretation of natural signs. Thus their history is key for understanding the shaping of the boundaries between the natural and the moral realms.

  17. Removal of Retained Adherent Placental Remnants Using the Hysteroscopy Endo-Operative System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ke-An; Huang, Huan; Xue, Min; Subedi, Jigyasa; Jamail, Grace; Zhao, Weidong; Xu, Dabao; Xiao, Songshu

    2016-01-01

    Removal of retained adherent placental remnants (RAPRs) may be challenging using traditional 5Fr or 7Fr hysteroscopic grasping forceps because they are very small. This is particularly true when the retained placental remnant is large. This video demonstrates the advantages of using the Hysteroscopy Endo-Operative System (HEOS), a specially designed operative hysteroscope with a 13Fr working channel, to remove retained placental remnants. Step-by-step explanation of the technique using videos and pictures (educative video) (Canadian Task Force Classification III). Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Hunan, China. A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed with RAPRs 5 weeks after the evacuation of retained placenta after a spontaneous abortion at 16 weeks' gestation. Gynecologic examination revealed an anterior 8-week uterus and no tenderness. Serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin was 150 mIU/L. Sonography revealed an irregular intrauterine mass, 3.5 cm × 3.5 cm × 3 cm in size. Removal of RAPRs using HEOS (Sopro-comeg Company, Bordeaux, France). The operation time was only 12 minutes. The RAPRs were removed completely and quickly in 1 procedure with no complications. The serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin titer normalized 1 week after the procedure. This study was approved by the institutional review board of the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. When indicated, removal of RAPRs using HEOS is safe and simple because of its large and strong cold forceps. Additionally, it avoids electrical and thermal injury to the endometrium, which is particularly important in a population that wants to preserve fertility. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Freely Expanding Knots of X-Ray-emitting Ejecta in Kepler’s Supernova Remnant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sato, Toshiki [Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397 (Japan); Hughes, John P., E-mail: toshiki@astro.isas.jaxa.jp, E-mail: jph@physics.rutgers.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019 (United States)

    2017-08-20

    We report measurements of proper motion, radial velocity, and elemental composition for 14 compact X-ray-bright knots in Kepler’s supernova remnant (SNR) using archival Chandra data. The knots with the highest speed show both large proper motions ( μ ∼ 0.″11–0.″14 yr{sup −1}) and high radial velocities ( v ∼ 8700–10,020 km s{sup −1}). For these knots the estimated space velocities (9100 km s{sup −1} ≲ v {sub 3D} ≲ 10,400 km s{sup −1}) are similar to the typical Si velocity seen in supernovae (SNe) Ia near maximum light. High-speed ejecta knots appear only in specific locations and are morphologically and kinematically distinct from the rest of the ejecta. The proper motions of five knots extrapolate back over the age of Kepler’s SNR to a consistent central position. This new kinematic center agrees well with previous determinations, but is less subject to systematic errors and denotes a location about which several prominent structures in the remnant display a high degree of symmetry. These five knots are expanding at close to the free expansion rate (expansion indices of 0.75 ≲ m ≲ 1.0), which we argue indicates either that they were formed in the explosion with a high density contrast (more than 100 times the ambient density) or that they have propagated through regions of relatively low density ( n {sub H} < 0.1 cm{sup −3}) in the ambient medium. X-ray spectral analysis shows that the undecelerated knots have high Si and S abundances, a lower Fe abundance, and very low O abundance, pointing to an origin in the partial Si-burning zone, which occurs in the outer layer of the exploding white dwarf for models of SNe Ia. Other knots show lower speeds and expansion indices consistent with decelerated ejecta knots or features in the ambient medium overrun by the forward shock. Our new accurate location for the explosion site has well-defined positional uncertainties, allowing for a great reduction in the area to be searched for faint

  19. Occult abnormal pregnancies after first post-embryo transfer serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels of 1.0-5.0 mIU/mL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maslow, Bat-Sheva L; Bartolucci, Alison; Sueldo, Carolina; Engmann, Lawrence; Benadiva, Claudio; Nulsen, John C

    2016-04-01

    To assess the occult pregnancy rate after "negative" first post-embryo transfer (ET) serum β-hCG results. Two-part retrospective cohort study and nested case series. University-based fertility center. A total of 1,571 negative first post-ET serum β-hCG results were included in the study; 1,326 results (primary cohort, June 2009-December 2013) were initially reported as <5 mIU/mL and 245 results (secondary cohort, January 2014-March 2015) were reported as discrete values from 1.0 to 5.0 mIU/mL. None. Rates of occult pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, and complications after negative first post-ET serum β-hCG results. A total of 88.8% (1,178/1,326) of the negative first post-ET results reported as <5 were actually <1.0 mIU/mL. Occult pregnancy was incidentally identified in 1.2% (12/1,041) of subjects with follow-up. Six had ectopic pregnancies, and seven experienced serious complications; 11 (91.7%) of the 12 occult pregnancies had a first post-ET serum β-hCG level of 1.0-5.0 mIU/mL and 1 (8.3%) <1.0 mIU/mL. All pregnancies with serious complications had initial β-hCG levels of 1.0-5.0 mIU/mL. Of the 245 results reported as discreet values, occult pregnancies were diagnosed in 5.5% (9/163) of subjects with follow-up. One had an ectopic pregnancy, which was treated with methotrexate. There were no serious complications in the secondary cohort. The majority of negative first post-ET serum β-hCG levels are <1.0 mIU/mL. Results from 1.0 to 5.0 mIU/mL may fail to exclude abnormal pregnancy and are associated with poor outcomes compared with β-hCG levels <1.0 mIU/mL. Serial serum β-hCG may be warranted in this population. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. THE DRESSMAKER, REMNANTS OF A LIFE

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carpe Pérez, Inmaculada Concepción

    2015-01-01

    The Dressmaker, remnants of a life, is a visual representation of our research in animation ,at the Animated Learning Lab, as a means of reflection on the construction of the self and memories. Through the artistic production of motion pictures, an introspection is done in the author’s personal...... knowledge, which help us to reflect upon thoughts, feelings and actions (personal or external). Such experiences shape our personalities and whose emotional balance our happiness depends on. Memories are the left over product out of experiences, constituents of a reality. This is seen and created...... the psychology of the self. Animation, for it’s metaphorical power and playfulness: mix of reality and fantasy, results a very attractive and effective tool to explore different points of view and work the neuroplasticity, facilitator of the physical changes of our brain and our behavior, area of study...